Traditionally, North American and Northern European men have not worn engagement rings simply because of the historically contractual nature of engagements, dating back to the Romans. However, as people marry more for love than business, the bride and the groom are interested in displaying their commitment to one another and a lifetime of love by each wearing an engagement ring.
Why don’t guys wear engagement rings? We will try to answer this question and analyze why this is changing nowadays. For example, we could mention some celebrities. Ed Sheeran and Michael Buble are just a couple of singers who wore engagement rings because they thought it strange that their significant other would be the only ones to wear a symbol of their love. Although there are places in the world where men traditionally wear engagement rings, this article will broadly explore why more men are wearing engagement rings.
Why Don’t Guys Wear Engagement Rings? The Answer To This Historical Question
In North America and Northern Europe, engagement rings have commonly been associated with women. Yet, at the same time, men go about their daily life seemingly unclaimed after two people decide to make their forever commitment to one another. Why, you ask? Well, the tradition of engagement rings dates back all the way to the Romans when fathers gave away their daughters. Brides were gifted iron bands to signify the contractual agreement between the two men.
Interestingly, the engagement ring was observed in Roman Catholic churches but not in Eastern Orthodox churches.
Diamond In Engagement Rings: Where Did This Trend Come From?
Where did the diamond come from? The first diamond engagement ring wasn’t recorded until 1477, when the Archduke of Austria gifted Mary of Burgundy a ring set with diamonds. The Victorians used diamonds in jewelry as early as 1872 when the mining company out of South Africa, Da Beers, was churning them out. However, the novelty of the diamond ring didn’t really catch on until Da Beers launched their worldwide campaign, “A Diamond is Forever,” in 1948. From there on out, the convention of diamond engagement rings was further popularized by larger-than-life figures throughout history like Jackie Kennedy and her 1953 emerald cut engagement ring, as well as Princess Diana and her 1982 oval, sapphire engagement ring engulfed in diamonds.
Why Should Men Wear An Engagement Ring Too
Gone are the days when women were mere property to be negotiated for and claimed by men. Nowadays, many millennials and gen Z are challenging the conventional engagement ring worn only by the bride. More and more brides and grooms find it absurd that the bride openly displays her devotion and love while the groom does not. To prevent misunderstandings with or without one another, brides and grooms are choosing to wear engagement rings, ostensibly stating that they are both off the market.
Countries Where Men Wear Engagement Rings
Not all men are the same and, in a few countries, men wearing engagement rings is merely traditional and not an act of social defiance or a practice exclusively reserved for same sex couples.
In Sweden, the bride and groom wear simple, understated bands of gold or silver. In Argentina, engagement rings are also wedding rings. No additional bands are exchanged during the wedding ceremony. Lastly, Chilean brides and grooms will wear engagement rings on their right ring fingers, and then during the wedding ceremony, will switch the rings to the left hand to symbolize their union. Also, it is known that in South America engagement ring for men are most common than in North America or Europe.
Engagement Ring For Men: Latest Trends & Ideas
The stylistic choices of engagement rings for men are just as vast as for brides, meaning grooms may opt for simplistic, flashy, or funky. When it comes to engagement rings for men, there are no rules. Some grooms select traditional bands made of titanium, tungsten, silver, or gold, resembling wedding bands. In contrast, other grooms may choose rings made of bone, ones adorned with diamonds or gems, and engagement rings resembling wood.
Mokume Gane engagement rings are a fantastic option for a groom’s engagement ring because they are customizable, earthy, and high-quality. We will share some ideas that will make you ask: “why don’t guys wear engagement rings?”
Izumi Handcrafted Engagement Ring
The Izumi handcrafted engagement ring is a bright, eye catching band made of swirls of 18k yellow gold, white gold and silver. The band is topped off with a single diamond or gemstone of your choice.
Elnath Mokume Gane Engagement Ring
Alternatively, the Elnath Diamond ring is a 5mm semi-dome band utilizing a combination of 18k white gold and 18k rose gold. The Elnath diamond is topped off with a .15 carat weight diamond.
In Jaume Labro we design and handcraft engagement ring following the ancient Japanese technique, Mokume Gane. The bands can be fully customizable and you can create the engagement ring of your dreams and, at the same time, you will be able to create something out of the ordinary that will show your true love.
Contact us and we will assist you from the beginning until the special day of your proposal.
