The habit of wearing wedding rings may vary in different cultures. Usually, people wear their wedding rings on the left hand’s ring finger. In the United Stated for example only wives wore wedding rings but during the 20th century man started wearing them as well.
Composition and style nowadays
In western culture, wedding rings are commonly white or yellow gold, but nowadays rosé gold is becoming more and more trendy, furthermore it is common to use all three colours or some kind of variation at the same time.
There are different types of wedding rings shape wise and different coloured of gold alloys as well. It is common that people choose special shaped wedding rings such as square or some kind of abstract shape. Nowadays, different kind of gemstones, mainly diamonds became trendy. For the ladies, sparkling diamonds decorate the ring for the gentlemen black and cognac diamonds are rather typical.
When it comes to decorating wedding rings, goldsmiths use different methods for making engraved patterns manually and mechanically. There are special surface works like thread grinding, matting, rustic works and bright, polished surfaces and their combination.
Usually, costumers put engravings inside of their rings, usually their spouse’s birth date, or the date of the wedding, but there are other creative ideas as well, such as little symbols or nicknames.
Wedding ceremony habits
Some sources say that the habit of gifting wedding rings originates from the ancient Rome; this marked the end of a gifting series. According to eastern orthodox and eastern catholic habits, the exchange of rings was not part of the wedding. The actual part of the wedding is when they change the engagement ring for a wedding ring. Usually, they give a set of 2 rings from the priest or from the groom’s best man, this seals the wedding. The orthodox Greek Catholic church gave up this tradition to bless the parties separately; therefore the first part of the wedding ceremony is the engagement and placing the rings on the fingers.
Apart from these habits there are numerous religious traditions in every country.