Engagement Rings: Beautiful Symbols of Promise
You have found the one that you want to spend the rest of your life with, and you now wear an engagement ring to signify to the world that you will soon be married. While you may be too happy to think about anything other than the wedding, the symbolic history behind the engagement ring that you are wearing is an interesting one.
The Meaning of Engagement Rings Throughout the World
In Western cultures, engagement rings are worn on a woman’s left-hand ring finger. Its purpose is to show that she is engaged to be married. Most commonly, engagement rings are presented to the woman by the man in the form of a formal marriage proposal. Her wearing the ring indicates her acceptance to his proposal, thus signifying an agreement between the couple.
In Denmark, Germany, Sweden, and Finland, engagement rings are worn by both the man and the woman. It should be mentioned, however, that for men, the engagement ring also then acts as their wedding ring. In Germany the engagement rings for both the man and the woman are made of platinum or gold, and are moved from the left hand to the right hand after the couple is married, thus becoming their wedding rings.
The Many Designs of an Engagement Ring
The designs of these rings vary according to popularity, but usually it is a band made of precious material in which a single gem is mounted. The most popular gem that people choose is the diamond, and popular kinds of rings include a platinum, silver, or gold band that contains just one diamond, The diamond is considered the most precious of gems, and highlights the fact that because a diamond is expensive, the ring is meant to display the seriousness of the man’s intentions.
Actually, the incorporation of a diamond into an engagement ring is more of a Western tradition. In several European countries like Denmark, Germany, and Norway, the ring is just a simple band with nothing else. In France, the ring traditionally does not include a diamond, but in does usually include some kind of gem.
The Meaning is the Same
If you are a fiancée and are wearing this kind of ring, no doubt you are glowing with the excitement that all newly engaged people feel. No matter what country you come from, and no matter what the design, an engagement ring is symbolic of the wonderful love between two people.
