To view a stunning selection of engagement rings and wedding bands, please visit the Rings shop window.
Where does the tradition come from?
The tradition of wearing wedding rings seems to date back to Ancient Egypt where pieces of papyrus were braided into rings. The symbol of a ring, or a circle represents eternity. It has no end and no beginning and as such became linked to the emotion of ‘love’. Ancient Egyptians chose to wear this meaningful ring on the 3rd finger of their left hand (as we do today) as they believed that the vein in that finger is linked directly to the heart. Eventually these papyrus rings were replaced by metal ones and the act of exchanging these rings was legally binding.
Modern Day Rings
Nowadays, we have many more options available to us than braided papyrus!
Couples typically opt to have rings made from gold, white gold, platinum or titanium.
Matching Wedding Rings
This is by no means essential, but it’s possible to have bride and groom wedding rings that match. This doesn’t mean that a petite bride needs to sport a 7mm wedding ring for the rest of her life. Instead it’s possible to have bands of a different width, that share the same design, stone or engraving.
Engraved Wedding Rings
A lovely way to make your wedding ring personal to the two of you, is by engraving the inner band of each ring. You could opt for each other’s initials, the date you first met, the date of your wedding or a phrase that means something to both of you. It’s normally possible to get the engraving done when you order the ring. Check with your jeweller.
Wedding Rings for Women
You’ll no doubt already be wearing an engagement ring, so you need to base the style of your wedding ring around this. It’s normal for the engagement ring to outshine the wedding ring. However, this doesn’t mean that your wedding ring has to be boring, but it does mean that the two rings you’ll be wearing on the one finger should compliment each other.
Size
The size of wedding band that you go for is entirely up to you. The widths for female wedding bands normally start at around 2mm. Any thinner than this and they tend to look a bit flimsy. Male bands start at around 5mm, so you probably want to avoid getting one as thick as this. Again though, this is dependent on the amount of room left on your finger when you factor in the width of your engagement ring. You should be able to comfortably bend your finger without feeling like there’s too much metal in the way.
Jewels
Wedding bands have been traditionally plain for centuries, but it’s now becoming much more common to have a band containing studded jewels. Diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds are all popular. Depending on the size and jewel in your engagement ring, you may decide against this if you don’t want to overdo the ‘bling’. However, if your engagement ring is a modest one, then this is a great excuse to add some extra sparkle!
Wedding Rings for Men
You have a little bit more freedom than the ladies do when choosing their wedding rings, as typically this will be the only one residing on your wedding finger.
Wedding bands for men usually start at around 5mm and go up to 8mm.
What ring size am I?
Luckily, jewellers realise that most people don’t know the answer to this question. So companies such as Purely Diamonds will send you a free ring sizer in the post – all you need to do is fill in your name and address with no obligation to buy.
