For many hundreds of years, the wedding ring has been a symbol of the love between a bride and groom. Its very shape represents eternity and the circle of life.
When you buy your wedding rings, you are investing in some of the most important items of jewelry you will ever own. And this isn't just because of what you'll pay. When the groom gives a ring to his bride during their marriage ceremony - or when a couple exchange bands - it stands as a promise of commitment and love for the future.
The personal significance of your wedding ring makes choosing it a highly individual decision. The choice of a rare or precious metal such as gold, platinum or silver, sometimes decorated with gemstones, represents its unique sentimental value. Nowadays a couple can choose from a wide variety of styles and settings - some traditional, others more unusual.
Selecting the right wedding ring is like making a choice of clothing. There are no hard and fast rules about what suits you best. Some couples like to choose a simple band that matches the engagement ring; some brides like Irish wedding traditions like the Claddagh ring or wear an antique ring that has particular family associations; and some husbands don't wear a wedding ring at all!
What Metal For Your Ring?
The choice of wedding band is a highly personal affair and your individual style and taste will play a large part. Your budget will also be an important factor in helping you decide on the style and decoration of your ring.
Gold
The wedding ring is famously celebrated in popular culture as 'band of gold' - and a gold wedding band is a natural choice as a setting for precious stones or as a beautiful material for a plain ring.
Gold is also popular because it is a relatively soft metal that can be easily worked for the purposes of design. But pure 24 karat gold is usually considered too soft for everyday wear, so it is normally mixed into an alloy with another material such as copper, palladium or silver. Popular and practical alternatives are 18 karat gold (which is 75% pure) and 14 karat gold (58% pure). When gold is mixed into an alloy it loses some of its depth of color and takes on a tint of the other substance.
Some people choose white gold, which may still have a slightly yellow tint or which may have been coated with a thin coating of rhodium. This coating makes the gold 'whiter' but it can wear away over time and the ring may need re-coating periodically to preserve its appearance.
A plain wedding ring is an elegant and traditional choice for both men and women. Some couples prefer a setting of diamonds or other stones. And an eternity wedding ring, displaying stones in a setting all the way round the ring, is sometimes given to celebrate an enduring partnership.
Platinum
Platinum rings are elegant and durable - but platinum is a relatively expensive choice because of its rarity. Many platinum rings are 90 - 95% pure (by weight). Platinum has a beautiful white color and is denser and thus heavier than gold.
It's said that the French monarch Louis XV declared platinum to be the only metal fit for a king! It looks similar to white gold, but its scarcity and durability give it a certain prestige appeal as well as a romantic status!
Titanium
If you're looking for a wedding ring that strong, light and affordable, a titanium band may the answer. It's not a precious metal but has recently gained popularity as an alternative to white gold, platinum or silver for a wedding band, especially for men.
These rings are often manufactured from 'aircraft quality' or 'aerospace grade' titanium, which offers a relatively high degree of strength and durability. It's important to have careful measurements taken when choosing a titanium ring, as they usually cannot be resized.
Buyers are often drawn to titanium jewelry for its 'high-tech' appeal and lightness when worn in comparison to other materials. It is also a popular choice for those who have sensitive skin.
Celtic Wedding Rings
Couples with Irish family roots or just a love of Celtic traditions are often attracted to various styles of Irish wedding rings. Their designs carry romantic and spiritual associations that date back many centuries.
The motifs and patterns that inspire Celtic jewelry are also found in manuscripts, carvings and crosses. Some of these have a religious significance, others are connected with the elements and ancient beliefs about the natural world.
Celtic rings often feature weave designs and traditional patterns such as the Trinity Knot. As its name suggests, this knot is associated with the Christian faith and its never-ending coil formation is often seen as a symbol of eternity, just as the ring itself stands for the enduring union of the married couple.
The romantic history and decorative charm of Celtic wedding rings make them very popular. Another example of Celtic wedding ring design is the Claddagh ring, named after a village near Galway in Ireland. Its design brings together the motif of two hands holding a heart and a crown or fleur de lys. Traditionally it is worn before betrothal on a finger of the right hand with the heart pointing outward. When a couple is enagaged the ring is turned so that the heart points inward, and when they married the ring is moved to the left hand.
Men's Wedding Rings
Just as a selection of wedding bands comes down to personal taste and style, so the groom's opinion about men's wedding rings is an individual decision. Some couples choose rings that match or complement each other, others prefer completely different styles. Some men are more comfortable wearing jewelry that's comparatively understated and choose a traditional band of plain gold or platinum.
Some married men choose not to wear a wedding ring at all. This depends on family and cultural traditions as well as personal style, and in some cases is also a generational choice. But now that it's more often the custom for couple to exchange wedding bands, there's an increasingly wide range of men's rings on the market that suit different tastes and lifestyles.
Engraving Your Wedding Rings
Engraving a personal message to your partner on their wedding ring has become a popular choice that adds to its romantic appeal and makes the ring a unique token of devotion.
Ring inscriptions are often a memento of the vows exchanged during the wedding ceremony, and technology has found more ways to increase the couple's options for including whole verses engraved on the inside of the ring.
Engraving by hand remains a traditional and elegant craftsman's technique - and of course a hand inscription carries slight irregularities and the style of engraver that for some people only add to its charm. Developments in laser technology also allow precise inscriptions of longer texts.
Religious verses, zany quotes, literary references - all these possibilities allow the bride and groom to personalize their rings with the private inscription of a message or even a symbol that has special meaning for the couple. And inscriptions can always be added at a later stage, perhaps to mark a significant event or anniversary.
When you buy your wedding rings, you are investing in some of the most important items of jewelry you will ever own. And this isn't just because of what you'll pay. When the groom gives a ring to his bride during their marriage ceremony - or when a couple exchange bands - it stands as a promise of commitment and love for the future.
The personal significance of your wedding ring makes choosing it a highly individual decision. The choice of a rare or precious metal such as gold, platinum or silver, sometimes decorated with gemstones, represents its unique sentimental value. Nowadays a couple can choose from a wide variety of styles and settings - some traditional, others more unusual.
Selecting the right wedding ring is like making a choice of clothing. There are no hard and fast rules about what suits you best. Some couples like to choose a simple band that matches the engagement ring; some brides like Irish wedding traditions like the Claddagh ring or wear an antique ring that has particular family associations; and some husbands don't wear a wedding ring at all!
What Metal For Your Ring?The choice of wedding band is a highly personal affair and your individual style and taste will play a large part. Your budget will also be an important factor in helping you decide on the style and decoration of your ring.
Gold
The wedding ring is famously celebrated in popular culture as 'band of gold' - and a gold wedding band is a natural choice as a setting for precious stones or as a beautiful material for a plain ring.
Gold is also popular because it is a relatively soft metal that can be easily worked for the purposes of design. But pure 24 karat gold is usually considered too soft for everyday wear, so it is normally mixed into an alloy with another material such as copper, palladium or silver. Popular and practical alternatives are 18 karat gold (which is 75% pure) and 14 karat gold (58% pure). When gold is mixed into an alloy it loses some of its depth of color and takes on a tint of the other substance.
Some people choose white gold, which may still have a slightly yellow tint or which may have been coated with a thin coating of rhodium. This coating makes the gold 'whiter' but it can wear away over time and the ring may need re-coating periodically to preserve its appearance.
A plain wedding ring is an elegant and traditional choice for both men and women. Some couples prefer a setting of diamonds or other stones. And an eternity wedding ring, displaying stones in a setting all the way round the ring, is sometimes given to celebrate an enduring partnership.
Platinum
Platinum rings are elegant and durable - but platinum is a relatively expensive choice because of its rarity. Many platinum rings are 90 - 95% pure (by weight). Platinum has a beautiful white color and is denser and thus heavier than gold.
It's said that the French monarch Louis XV declared platinum to be the only metal fit for a king! It looks similar to white gold, but its scarcity and durability give it a certain prestige appeal as well as a romantic status!
Titanium
If you're looking for a wedding ring that strong, light and affordable, a titanium band may the answer. It's not a precious metal but has recently gained popularity as an alternative to white gold, platinum or silver for a wedding band, especially for men.
These rings are often manufactured from 'aircraft quality' or 'aerospace grade' titanium, which offers a relatively high degree of strength and durability. It's important to have careful measurements taken when choosing a titanium ring, as they usually cannot be resized.
Buyers are often drawn to titanium jewelry for its 'high-tech' appeal and lightness when worn in comparison to other materials. It is also a popular choice for those who have sensitive skin.
Celtic Wedding Rings
Couples with Irish family roots or just a love of Celtic traditions are often attracted to various styles of Irish wedding rings. Their designs carry romantic and spiritual associations that date back many centuries.
The motifs and patterns that inspire Celtic jewelry are also found in manuscripts, carvings and crosses. Some of these have a religious significance, others are connected with the elements and ancient beliefs about the natural world.
Celtic rings often feature weave designs and traditional patterns such as the Trinity Knot. As its name suggests, this knot is associated with the Christian faith and its never-ending coil formation is often seen as a symbol of eternity, just as the ring itself stands for the enduring union of the married couple.
The romantic history and decorative charm of Celtic wedding rings make them very popular. Another example of Celtic wedding ring design is the Claddagh ring, named after a village near Galway in Ireland. Its design brings together the motif of two hands holding a heart and a crown or fleur de lys. Traditionally it is worn before betrothal on a finger of the right hand with the heart pointing outward. When a couple is enagaged the ring is turned so that the heart points inward, and when they married the ring is moved to the left hand.
Men's Wedding Rings
Just as a selection of wedding bands comes down to personal taste and style, so the groom's opinion about men's wedding rings is an individual decision. Some couples choose rings that match or complement each other, others prefer completely different styles. Some men are more comfortable wearing jewelry that's comparatively understated and choose a traditional band of plain gold or platinum.
Some married men choose not to wear a wedding ring at all. This depends on family and cultural traditions as well as personal style, and in some cases is also a generational choice. But now that it's more often the custom for couple to exchange wedding bands, there's an increasingly wide range of men's rings on the market that suit different tastes and lifestyles.
Engraving Your Wedding Rings
Engraving a personal message to your partner on their wedding ring has become a popular choice that adds to its romantic appeal and makes the ring a unique token of devotion.
Ring inscriptions are often a memento of the vows exchanged during the wedding ceremony, and technology has found more ways to increase the couple's options for including whole verses engraved on the inside of the ring.
Engraving by hand remains a traditional and elegant craftsman's technique - and of course a hand inscription carries slight irregularities and the style of engraver that for some people only add to its charm. Developments in laser technology also allow precise inscriptions of longer texts.
Religious verses, zany quotes, literary references - all these possibilities allow the bride and groom to personalize their rings with the private inscription of a message or even a symbol that has special meaning for the couple. And inscriptions can always be added at a later stage, perhaps to mark a significant event or anniversary.
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