Across the world, the idea of engagement rings and wedding bands is a commonly accepted method of proposing and showing that one is spoken for. Of course, there are other ways to demonstrate this exclusive commitment, but engagement and wedding rings has become a standard practice. Of course, opting for lab grown wedding rings and engagement rings makes choosing the right options for you that much more affordable and allows for more tailoring. This could add to the symbolism and meaning associated with your rings.
Going back to the ancient Egyptians, the Romans and the Greeks, to the middle ages, till our present day, different cultures have varying reasons and symbolic attributions to the use of a wedding band. The notion of giving a ring is often linked to symbolizing completeness, eternity and lasting commitment. All these ideas hope to be reflected in a happy and successful marriage. Some traditions prefer a simple smooth wedding band made out of gold or silver to demonstrate the couple getting married in simplicity and free of conflict and distractions with ulterior motives. Some cultures have a dual giving of rings under the wedding canopy between the bride and the groom, whereas in others only the groom gives the ring to his bride under the wedding canopy. In such a situation, the bride may choose to give her husband a wedding band after the wedding ceremony if the couple choose to do so.
Engagement rings carry similar symbolic meanings to wedding rings, and often come with diamonds or gem stones in varying shapes and sizes. There is always the quandary after wedding of how to best wear the engagement ring and wedding band. Does one wear one, both, which one goes on top, are they even on the same hand? The answers leave lots of room for creativity. Essentially there are no hard and fast rules as to how to wear both rings or even if to wear both. Some wear them on different hands, some have the wedding ring above the engagement ring, and some wear it below. You may even choose to wear one and not the other. It all comes down to personal style. If you do like the idea of wearing them together on the same finger, there is even the option of keeping this in mind when the rings are purchased. This way you could style them in such a way that they come as a set depending on your style and cultural affiliation.
One advantage of wearing the 2 rings in combination is that one can help compliment and/or enhance the other. There are a number of different wedding bands on the market, for example, plain bands, diamond bands, and contoured bands. If your engagement ring is fitted with a large sparkly stone as a centerpiece such as the round classic diamond, or a design with a center stone surrounded by little diamonds like a halo or hidden halo, you may opt for a simple plain wedding band to go underneath it. This will give the engagement ring room to stand out, provide a thicker band look, and provide increased support and stability to the ring above it.
Alternatively, some people prefer to stack their wedding ring on top of their engagement ring. This can help keep the ring below in position. When looking to engage in “ring stacking” one should make sure that the rings in question do sit well together to avoid your desired effect not clashing and looking out of place. You might also choose to wear your plain wedding band on your ring finger and your engagement ring on another, or on your other hand in order to spread the shine and add a twist to your overall look.
At the end of the day, as we mentioned, a lot comes down to your cultural affiliation and personal style. If you have any questions as to what might work best for you, or would like more information about our lab created wedding rings and lab grown diamond engagement rings, don’t hesitate to get in touch at hello@thebetterdiamonds.com or click here.