Engagement Rings
Signifies Acceptance to Marry in the Future
Engagement rings, according to the western culture are to be worn by a lady on her left hand ring finger to indicate that she is engaged to be married. The purpose of engagement rings is to express deep emotions of eternal love, eternal commitment, eternal happiness, and eternal togetherness.
Actually, these engagement rings signify eternity between the giver and the recipient. An engagement ring, of course, is a complete circle with no break and no end or beginning, which means that it just goes on and on; it is eternal.
On the other hand, in present day usage, the engagement ring is given to a woman by a man at the time of proposing marriage and acceptance of which would lead to her wearing the engagement ring, which is presented as a betrothal gift and indicates the formal acceptance to marry in the future.
Similar conventions were also followed by other traditions, dating back to the classical period when the engagement ring was worn on the fourth finger of the left hand and was sometimes referred to as vena amoris, the vein of love.
Engagement Rings Usage With Respect to Various Societies
At present, in the United States, it is becoming more common, even though it is still quite rare, for a woman to present her man with an engagement ring, when she is getting engaged.
In Germany the engagement rings may be made from gold or platinum and both partners wear them on the left hand until the time of wedding when they shift the ring to the right hand to signify marriage.
While in Europe, more mainly Sweden, Denmark, Finland and Germany it is common for both partners to wear rings, though in these lands the engagement ring may also double for a wedding ring.
When a Women Refuses Engagement Ring
When a woman refuses an engagement ring it signifies that she is not interested in getting married to the person offering it. The engagement ring is considered as being a conditional gift according to the legal rules of property and is an exception to the rule that gifts cannot be revoked if given correctly in United States.
And, women who take the rings and then refuse to marry their men are considered to be grasping and greedy, although the intention behind giving the ring made it a gift and so entitled the woman to hold on to it, despite refusing marriage, later on.
The Cost Factor of Engagement Ring Set
As you must realize, the cost for such an engagement ring set would be on the higher side. Now, if you have the money it is fine –go ahead and buy the most beautiful engagement ring set for your girlfriend. She will adore you for such a lavish engagement present.
However, if you are not so well off and money is a constraint for getting her what you want, then take some time to consider imitation diamonds. Moissainite, the name that these imitation stones go by, are just wonderful to look at.
A total engagement ring set of Moissanite would cost maybe less than a diamond ring, but it will look doubly as beautiful. Of course, you may like to use Cubic Zirconia or the lab diamond which is as beautiful and versatile as the real diamonds.
In order to decide what you should do about it, you could take a few days and go window-shopping. During this time you would have sufficient time to see a good number of designs and engagement ring sets to help you make up your mind on what you want and what should be given. Once your mind is made, you should immediately buy it and get ready to pop the big question!
If you decide to buy original gem sets, they are beautiful and a good way to go. If you like to buy the imitation diamonds, ensure before taking the set home that the stones are set correctly. This is very important or you will have the stones fall in a very short while.
Obtain if possible, a warranty on the stone workmanship and setting. The setting of the stones should be finished well, it should not catch on clothes and the stones should be cut to perfection. In this matter the best to date is Cubic Zirconia, and as long as the stones are not too big, most people couldn’t tell the difference between the real and the knock off.
Design and Material
Over the years, the designs and materials used for engagement rings have changed considerably, and are generally, a precious band mounted with a diamond or a gem.
Yellow gold is the traditional favorite for engagement rings, but in the last 20 years or so, there has been a big upswing in the number of brides picking another metals such as platinum, white gold, or titanium. Silver as a metal is not a good choice because it is easily tarnished.
Platinum and titanium are slightly more costly but they also tend to be more durable. At present the fashions lean towards gold, platinum or silver having a single diamond, and, only recently, thanks to heavy doses of advertising, has the diamond ring caught the imagination of people, in Western cultures, particularly.
Sometimes, a man may deliberately buy his woman a costly engagement ring, to indicate the permanency of the relationship. |
