When do you give an engagement ring? What does it mean when a man gives a ring? And what are the rings to give away? There are many questions to be answered. For example, it seems trivial, but many wonder what is the meaning of a ring worn on a finger. We answer these questions, also because not everyone knows the history and meaning of a simple ring.
1 When do you give an engagement ring as a gift?
2 The 10 etiquette rules for the engagement ring
3 How to choose the engagement ring
4 Engagement ring: 5 things to know
5 Women dissatisfied with the engagement ring
6 Women willing to pay for their engagement ring
7 Colored Engagement Rings
The engagement ring
You can give or wear a ring because you like it, at any time. But the engagement ring, as well as the ring worn after the wedding, are special jewels. In Western cultures, but not limited to, an engagement ring is offered at the time of the marriage request. When worn, it indicates that the person wearing the engagement ring is engaged to someone: she has received a marriage request and has accepted. Of course, the wedding ring instead indicates that the marriage has already taken place.
The ring is usually presented as an engagement gift at the time of the marriage proposal. There is no precise rule for establishing the exact moment in which to show and give the ring: it can take place immediately before or immediately after the request. These are the most common occasions. But nothing prevents you from giving the ring even at a later time. And, of course, the ring is a gift that accompanies the acceptance of the proposal. No “yes”, no ring.
Giving a ring means making a formal commitment. But it is considered a moral commitment, not regulated by law, at least in most countries. In short, it means that you can always change your mind before reaching the moment of definitive “yes”, if you do not consider the divorce. But this has not always been the case: in some countries, for example the United States, up to the 1950s a woman could sue her husband for not respecting the promise of marriage. As for the wedding ring, everything is explained here.
In any case, the engagement ring has ancient origins: in some cultures, once the man gave the future bride’s family, or the woman herself, money or jewels as a sign of her real intentions. In a sense, this principle also applies now: those who spend a lot on an engagement ring will be less likely to change their mind, unless they are very rich.
How should the engagement ring be? We talked about it in other articles. In any case, the most frequent choice is that of a simple metal circle, usually white or yellow gold, with a single diamond held in place by four or six prongs. It is the ring called solitaire. But it is not mandatory to choose this type of ring: it depends on the personal taste of those who give it and those who receive it. In addition to gold, platinum is also used for the rings and, for those less interested in traditions, there are also variants in titanium, silver and stainless steel.
It is good to remember that an engagement ring will be worn often and for a long time, even after the wedding. By the way: after marriage it is usually worn on the outside of the wedding ring. An engagement ring that is too flashy may not match the clothes or end up boring. In short, it is always better to choose simplicity, which does not go out of fashion. In addition, in some countries the engagement ring is also used for weddings, one more reason not to overdo the imagination.
On which finger is the ring worn? We wrote about it here.
If the engagement ring is the gift that accompanies the marriage request, this is not the case everywhere. There are countries where both partners wear engagement rings, which are often bought together. Be aware, however, that the sale of engagement rings has been growing for years. It was a declining habit until around the Second World War. Then, also thanks to marketing initiatives such as the famous advertising campaign “A diamond is forever” by De Beers (in 1947), the diamond ring has been increasingly sold and today it is one of the most purchased jewels ever.
