The wedding ring has remained the most
consistent wedding tradition and was started by the Egyptians. This tradition
was only broken during the period of the puritans when rings were banned all
together. Wedding bands symbolize the love and bond between two people. A ring
is round and represents love without end since there is no end to a circle.
After a wedding, the bride and groom are easily recognized as married because
almost all married couples wear a ring on their left hand 4th finger.
Engagement rings are typically more expensive than wedding bands.
The engagement ring is worn in
front of your wedding band (the engagement ring is toward the fingernail and
the wedding band is toward the knuckle). Your engagement ring is the
"protector" of your wedding band.
The ring barer's job is to carry the wedding rings (or fake rings) down the
aisle on a ring pillow. Carrying rings
on a cushion is an Egyptian and Roman method of carrying precious stones,
silver and gold. Pillows are also used to carry a royal crown. This method is
used to properly present very precious gifts. Diamonds were discovered in India
more than 2000 years ago. Since then they have become the most sought after
gemstones. Diamonds are the stone of power and courage of the gods. Greeks
believed that diamonds were the tears of the gods; Romans believed that
diamonds were splinters falling from the sky; Italians believed they were
created in the Flames of Love. The first diamond wedding ring was given over
600 years ago by a duke. In medieval times, a man would have to pay a dowry to
a woman's family in order to marry. Precious stones, such as diamonds, were
often given as a symbol of his intent to marry. Today, almost all brides wear a
diamond engagement ring.
There are
many places to buy a wedding ring, but some places do not have excellent
quality diamonds. American gem society stores have an excellent reputation for
quality merchandise. Be very careful of the lighting in the store. Blue lights
can make a diamond's color look better than it actually is because blue lights
can hide a yellow tinge in the gemstone. If possible, take a ring you are
interested in to an appraiser that is not affiliated with the store. Most
stores will let you do this if you put a down payment on the ring. Ask the
store about their return policy, money back guarantee (if there is one) and if
they will size and clean the ring. Most stores will clean and resize rings for
at least a few years after they were purchased.
A wedding ring is a large
investment. Most people spend about 3 weeks salary or 6% of their total income
on each ring. Since wedding rings are very valuable, many couples insure their
rings under their homeowners insurance.
Four C's of Diamonds
Cut- Describes how the gem has been shaped. Many cuts
emphasize the brilliance of the gemstone. Some popular cuts are round,
marquise, pear, oval and square.
Color - A colorless diamond is
considered perfect. Many diamonds have a slight yellow tint that is hard to
see.
Clarity - Measured by the number of flaws or imperfections
in the diamond. These can be interior or exterior imperfections. A low clarity
has lots of imperfections.
Carat - The size of the stone. The
larger the diamond, the greater the carat.
Band
The
geometric shape of the circle represents eternity in Egyptian hieroglyphics.
The band can be made of yellow gold, white gold, silver or platinum. Gold is
the metal of the sun; silver is the metal of the moon and platinum is the metal
of the heavens. Platinum is much harder than gold and silver, and allows for
more intricate settings to be made. The quality and weight is measured is
carats. A band that is 18 carat gold is very good quality and weight. Gold
needs to be mixed with another metal to increase its hardness because pure gold
is too soft and not resistant to wear. Many people choose to engrave the inside
of their wedding bands with the date and initials of spouse, or maybe a quote
or message. The earliest rings were braided grass, hay, leather, bone and
ivory. Bands made of grass or hay needed to be replaced often.
Setting
The setting describes the way the diamond (or
gemstone) is placed on the band. A high setting is when the stone is very
exposed and set away from the band. A low setting is when the stone is close to
the band. If you use your hands a lot, you may want a low setting to protect
the diamond.
By Nicole Mazzeo
Wrapwithus wedding favors
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