An engagement ring and a wedding ring are among the most canonical pieces of jewelry ever made. Both have a sacred meaning, an incredible look, and a long-term history. However, their stories are already so long and complicated that many people became confused. These days, our customers of tenrequest us to consult about the rules of wearing the engagement ring and the wedding ring —both separately and together.
Indeed, many questions arise in the heads of those who are about to marry and propose. Frequently, these dilemmas are so complicated that they prevent couples from choosing the rings effortlessly. Precisely, these people wonder how it is better to solve the conflict of engagement ring vs. wedding ring. Do you need to find a matching wedding bandonce you have an engagement ringon your finger? Should you take off your engagement ringonce you start wearing the wedding ring? When is the right timing for gifting these pieces of jewelry? Is it possible to wear both the engagement ringand the wedding ringonce you’re married?
Contemporary couples stopped being conservative, and the engagement ring vs. wedding ring discussion is getting complicated because of that. With time, the designs and the traditions of wearing these pieces of jewelry have changed a lot. That’s why Diamond Registry experts decided to create this guide and answer all the questions about the engagement ring and the wedding ring in one place. Here, we described the stories and the peculiarities of the engagement ring vs. wedding ring difference. We revealed the details you should know to make these rings perfect and wear them with joy and pleasure.
One of the most remarkable things about the engagement ringis its design. In particular, this piece of jewelry always has a prevailing stone in its setting. This jewel can be a solitaire or be supplemented by several tiny gemstones that accentuate this central stone. The exact moment of gifting an engagement ring is during the proposal. In some cases of emergency, it may happen during the first days of engagement, though.
There are no other specific rules for an engagement ring. This means that, in the end, any ring with a central stone can be an engagement ring. When it comes to this piece of jewelry, the more important is the meaning and the feeling you put in it during those seconds of presentation to your significant other. We recommend sticking to the central stone occurrence only —simply because it helps to identify this type of ring and its social meaning more accurately than a band.
Nevertheless, you can significantly intensify your proposal’s special meaning if you decide to buy a diamond engagement ring. Throughout the years, this piece of jewelry has been accumulating a sacred symbolism. From ancient times till today, a diamond ring serves as a beautiful and luxurious manifestation of love between the couple. In history, engagement rings have always demonstrated the presence of the relationship that is meaningful for its wearer. Alternatively, rings may indicate a person's link to the community: be that secret society, private bonds, or the fact of belonging to the overworld. In other words, the diamond engagement ring has a more powerful message of connection than any other engagement ring.
The contemporary engagement ringis no longer a traditional gift from a man to a woman. This piece of jewelry is free from any gender labeling now. All that’s left from the ancient custom is that this ring should demonstrate the meaningful connection between the lovers that will be manifested through legal and spiritual binding. Simply put, theengagement ringis the piece of jewelry that serves as a symbol of readiness to start the marriage.
These days, the modern couples choose to exchange mutual engagement rings —single bands with a shining diamond as a center stone. After the symbolic interaction, the already engaged people wear this ring on the left-hand ring finger. If a person decides to wear an engagement ring together with a wedding ring, he/she moves it to the ring finger of the right hand.
Many guys dedicate significant effort to making the time of their proposal special. To help you decide what are the best working ideas, here are the top 5 most beautiful ways to present an engagement ring:
Traditionally, the wedding ring is a single metal band. The simplicity of its design has deep historical roots, coming from the traditions of primitive gimmel and poesy rings. The raw outline with no decorations perfectly served the purpose of gifting this piece of jewelry. Precisely, the wedding band serves as a symbolic object that supports the exchange of promises of eternal love during the wedding ceremony.
However, the tastes of the public have changed dramatically since then. These days, many people aim at getting a more beautiful wedding ring that features several small diamonds. In this case, the wedding ring transforms into a diamond eternity band. Though the design becomes a bit more sophisticated, it’s underlying meaning is still the same — it has to be exchanged with your partner during the wedding ceremony.
In essence, the purpose of gifting the wedding band is to symbolically link yourself to another person while you enter the marriage. In terms of design, these two wedding rings can be the same or gently supplement each other. But the most important feature is that this piece of jewelry doesn’t include a large center stone in the design.
Later, the wedding ring can feature some extra elements — including alterations, engravings, and upgrades — to celebrate the special moments that will appear in the future couple's life. However, this doesn’t change the underlying principle of its raw design. It includes the precious solid metal only — mostly, gold, platinum, or palladium.
3 most interesting facts about the wedding ring:
If you’re interested in ordering a custom-made wedding ring, here are 3 essential steps for choosing the perfect design:
Among all, you should understand that an engagement ring and a wedding ring play different roles in fastening the alliance by marriage. In particular, they differ by the purpose and timing of gifting. The engagement ring is the piece of jewelry given for the proposal and to validate an intention to marry. The wedding ring is the special ring for exchange during the wedding ceremony itself. The engagement ring and the wedding ring can be worn together after all these ceremonials are over. That’s why many people choose to create the engagement ring and wedding ring as a unified piece of jewelry. They serve to justify the loyalty and eternity of their bond.
Another important distinction between the engagement ring and the wedding band lies in the pricing dimension. No matter how heavily decorated your wedding ring is, it’s still cheaper than the engagement ring because of the total carat weight difference.
Finally, the difference between a wedding ring and an engagement ring lies in the dimension of design. In particular, the engagement ring has three main styles couples mostly choose from:
The tradition says that the wedding ring is the piece of jewelry worn by both a bride and a groom, while the engagement ring is for a bride only. That’s why the design of the engagement ring is always more sophisticated and bizarre. It can include various gems — both colored and colorless — along with a center stone. That’s why it’s much more expensive. In contrast, the wedding ring is much more simplistic and reserved in the design.
You can wear the engagement ring and the wedding band together on the ring finger of a left hand. According to the tradition and thanks to the different designs, you can hide your wedding ring under your engagement ring, so it stays closer to your skin and soul. Alternatively, you can wear only the engagement ring during the proposal and the wedding ceremony.
In the end, your taste and preferences determine everything in both rings. Some brides don’t want their engagement ring with any center stone, while others demand the stones even in the wedding band. Anyway, both rings symbolize the love and commitment between two people — and it’s up to you to choose how many rings you fancy and how they will look. If you want to stick to the tradition, you need both the engagement ring and the wedding ring. If you want to make it your way, be at ease with that. These days, brides decide everything about their special life events.
Even the tradition says it’s OK to wear only an engagement ring after all the wedding ceremonials are over.
But what are the cases when you can choose to wear one ring only?
There are several reasons for picking just one ring. Among all, it’s easier to wear one ring only. It can be even more appealing — because the contemporary design difference between a wedding ring and an engagement ring is striking. Moreover, you can be more patient with that decision — both while wearing and picking the ring in a jewelry store. Everything you can concentrate on is getting a stunning piece of jewelry with the maximum value-for-money.
In the end, you can wear as many rings as you want — or even no rings at all. Everything that matters is the underlying meaning of love and marriage behind.
The best time to order the wedding band is at least two months before the wedding ceremony. Being so precautious, you can be calm in front of unexpected changes in the wedding plan (which always happens, to be honest).
Come to the Diamond Registry office! Our experts are happy to explain the peculiarities of the engagement ring vs. wedding ring difference and assist you in choosing your perfect diamond jewelry. Since 1961, we serve as the matchmaker in the industry, connecting you to the source of the wholesale diamond prices and creating custom-made jewelry.
