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The wedding ring is usually made from precious metals and worn on the
ring finger of the left hand.
In some countries, such as Norway and Russia, it is
also worn on the ring finger of the right hand. The purpose of
wearing a wedding ring is to represent a marriage, with both spouses
showing their commitment to each other. Although the custom
originated in Europe, it has spread to many other countries beyond
Europe. In some cultures, two other rings, the promise ring and the
engagement ring, are also given before marriage.
The engagement ring is well known around the world and is given when
a couple agrees to marry. The promise ring, not as widely known, is
given during courtship. In many European countries, the name of the
bride-to-be is engraved on the ring. Traditionally, wedding rings
were only worn by women, but men began to wear them, too, and today
many different designs are available for the groom. Caring for the
rings before the wedding is the responsibility of the best man.
In highly elaborate weddings, a ring bearer may be enlisted to carry
the rings in the ceremony on a fancy pillow. The ring bearer is
usually a young man who is related to either the bride or groom. In
some European countries, the engagement ring becomes the wedding
ring once the couple is married. If a different ring is used for the
wedding ring, the bride may still wear the engagement ring as well
if she chooses.
The choice of finger for wearing the ring has changed over the
centuries. While the fourth finger on the left or right hand has
always been traditionally used, wearing the ring on the left hand
has been a sign of a couple’s eternal love for each other.
Historically, wedding bands have been worn by women in the U.S. and
UK. Now they are commonly worn by men, too. The precious metals used
in the wedding ring are often gold or white gold, but titanium has
become increasingly popular, especially for men.
The diamond wedding ring continues to be extremely popular. However,
many couples prefer to use precious gems such as rubies or sapphires
rather than diamonds in the design of their rings. If you want to
buy a gem to be set in a ring, you will want to assess the quality
based on its softness. Gems have a softness scale that ranges from 1
to 10, with a rating of 1 being the softest and a rating of 10 being
the hardest. Gems with a rating of 7 or lower should not be chosen
for a wedding ring.
In addition, stainless steel is now being used in the design of
wedding rings, as it is much more durable than gold and can showcase
a finish better than titanium. Some metals are poisonous and are not
used to make rings.
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