How To Choose The Best Wedding Rings
By CMHypno
History of Wedding Rings
Getting married soon and looking for your dream wedding ring? The two most important rings that you are likely to wear in your life are your engagement ring and your wedding ring. The circle of a wedding ring symbolises eternity; the joining of two lives together. Like the Uroborus, or serpent swallowing its own tail, the circle has no beginning and no end and represents eternal life, continuity and infinity to many ancient cultures. The discs of the Sun and the Moon were worshipped by early civilisations, and as such a circle or a ring has always been viewed as a religious symbol. The tradition of wearing a gold band on the third finger of the left hand came from the belief that the blood in the vein of that finger had pumped directly from the heart and was therefore a source of love and emotion. This tradition was started in ancient Egypt, was embraced by the ancient Greeks who then passed it on to the Romans who called the vein the ‘vena amoris’ or ‘vein of love’.
Wedding Ring Traditions
Rings were traditionally worn by monarchs and people in power as a symbol of their office and status, and modern wedding rings are worn as a symbol of two people’s commitment to each other and as a sign that they are married and not free to enter into a romantic relationship with anyone else. Early wedding rings were often made of iron as it was thought that iron was representative of the strength of a man’s love for his chosen bride. By the Middle Ages the exchanging of rings had acquired a legal status, and was regarded as a binding contract. It was also fairly late on in history that wedding bands began to be fashioned out of precious metal, with gold being the metal of choice. The wedding rings of the British Royals are fashioned from the very rare Welsh gold and the Irish believe that it is unlucky to have one that is not made from gold. It is also thought to be bad luck if it does not fit your finger perfectly at your marriage ceremony. The practice of men also wearing a wedding ring is largely a modern one and has sprung up since the Second World War, and nowadays it is quite usual for both the bridegroom and the bride to give and accept a gold band on their wedding day.
Choosing a Wedding Ring
Nowadays there are many different styles and designs of wedding ring to choose from, and there is a wide range available to choose from. You need to decide on what type of wedding ring that you want to wear. Do you want a plain gold band or maybe something a bit fancier, perhaps even set or encrusted with diamonds or coloured gemstones? What type of ring would suit your finger, a narrow band or a wider band? Do you want it to be an exact match to your engagement ring, and therefore be bought as part of a wedding ring set or even a wedding trio where the groom’s ring also matches? So let’s look at some of the great choices out there, all of which can easily be bought online.
Plain Wedding Bands
The traditional choice of wedding ring is a plain, narrow band of precious metal. You can buy simple, unadorned bands in silver, yellow gold, white gold or platinum depending on your preference and your budget. You can buy these plain wedding bands in a variety of widths, designed to suit all sizes and shape of fingers. Plain wedding rings work well if you want the bride and groom’s ring to match, as it will be easy to find a corresponding man’s wedding ring.
Engraved Wedding Rings
If you would like a wedding ring that is a bit more ornate, you could choose one that is engraved. The wedding ring could be engraved on the outer surface with a pattern of some kind, like say foliage, or with a short message of love. If you really want to personalise your wedding rings you could have your names or initials engraved on the inside surface along with the date of your wedding. Again, you can buy these engraved wedding rings in silver, yellow gold, white gold or platinum.
Diamond Wedding Rings
It is now quite popular to have a wedding ring that is set or encrusted with diamonds. This could be a narrow band that is set with diamonds all the way around or a ring studded with one or two gemstones. This looks really good if the diamonds and the precious metal of the ring match well with those in your engagement ring. Also, you need to try some on, as two elaborate rings may not suit you if you do not have enough length in your finger below your knuckle.
Titanium and Tungsten Wedding Rings
The latest, trendiest metals to fashion wedding bands from are tungsten and titanium. Tungsten and titanium are especially good for men’s wedding rings, as they are incredibly strong metals and virtually scratch proof. Titanium also does not provoke the allergic reactions in the skin that some other metals can, and the durability of these wedding rings means that even a man who does heavy, manual labour need never take it off while he is working. Also the good news is that tungsten and titanium wedding rings are very affordable, and come in a wide range of styles and designs.
Russian Wedding Rings
If you want an interesting and unique wedding ring, why not consider a Russian Wedding Ring. They are made from three interlinking bands of different coloured gold. The three rings are said to represent the Holy Trinity and the interlinking of the rings tokens a bond of love that can never be broken.
Wedding Ring Sets and Wedding Ring Trios
If you want to really ensure that your wedding ring and engagement ring match, you can choose a wedding ring set where all the pieces of jewelry are created from exactly matching precious metal and gemstones. Moreover, often the wedding band is often shaped to fit with the engagement ring, so that they slot together perfectly on your finger. So whether you want a plain wedding band and plain engagement ring with a solitaire diamond or diamond encrusted wedding ring and elaborate engagement ring, there will be the perfect wedding ring set for you. You can also get wedding ring trios, which can either be an engagement ring, wedding ring and eternity ring for the bride or an engagement ring and wedding ring for the bride and a matching wedding ring for the groom. This is the perfect solution if you want the bride and groom’s bands to be an exact match to each other.
So if you are looking for a wonderful wedding ring or wedding ring set, then check out the amazing range available from Amazon today. You will be wearing your wearing ring for the rest of your life, so make sure you choose the perfect one for you to cherish!
Copyright 2010 CMHypno on HubPages
Wedding Rings Image R.I.N.C.S Wikimedia Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic
Comments
Thanks Hello, hello and glad that you enjoyed reading about wedding rings and wedding ring sets
They are beautiful and thank you for great hub.













Diamond Wedding Bands 18 months ago
Great Hub. One can get all the information about diverse kinds of designs at one place. Choosing a wedding ring is really an exiting affair and research should be done before choosing one.