Wedding Rings
The practice of giving and wearing a wedding ring dates back thousands of years. A wedding ring represents fidelity and love between two people and are given on the day of a couple joining forces. Before the time that the skill of how to work metal became widely known, people used such things as plants, grass and even hair to ‘tie the knot’, which is what I think a wedding ring stands for.
These days a typical wedding ring might be made from precious metals such as gold, titanium, platinum or even white gold. Women’s wedding rings often contain a diamond, although sapphires are quickly becoming more popular. Men’s wedding rings are often just a simple band of gold. There are many distinctive styles of wedding rings, but the most popular for men is unquestionably the plain gold band.
For those who want something a bit more flamboyant, there are plenty of examples on the market. A man might want a more grandiose wedding ring, because it is frequently the only piece of jewellery that a man wears. Some alternatives to the plain band of gold are the Celtic Knot and the Claddagh gold rings.
It is essential for men’s wedding rings to be made from a robust alloy of gold. Most men do manual labour of one sort or another, even if it is only gardening, so it is a lot to ask of a pure gold wedding ring to last thirty or forty years.
A 14 or 18 carat gold ring will probably manage it, but a 22 carat ring would not. It would simply wear away because it is too pure and therefore too soft. Platinum or titanium are much harder, although most people have a preference for gold.
In most countries tradition dictates that people wear their wedding ring on their left hand, although in a couple of countries such as Germany, Russia and Norway, people wear their wedding ring on the right hand.
Some couples would rather have a unique wedding ring and that is not so difficult to accomplish as it might first seem. The simplest way to personalize your ring is to have an inscription like names and a date engraved on it.
Another way, would be to buy a precious stone separately and have the jeweller set it onto the ring for you. The best option though is to find a jeweller you can trust and have him or her make up a pair of matching rings to your own design. I have done that and it is not a lot more expensive than a good ring.
Wearing matching wedding rings is a notable experience. People see that your ring is ’something different’ and many people ask, where you got them from. It all goes to help make that special day unforgettable for ever.
Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with theCeltic Knot wedding ring. If you have an interest in wedding rings too, please go to our website now at White Gold Claddagh Ring