Traditional Engagement Ring and Wedding Band

It was the family tradition to have those engagement rings and then the companies began stressing them and marketing them because they are the most who get benefited out of it commercially.



There is not much difference between an engagement ring and wedding band and the cost of these have been pushed by the companies so that they benefit out of it.

There was a waiting period announced between an engagement and the wedding. this was done in 1215 AD by Pope Innocent III. Plain bands were used initially.

Gemstones were used only by the riches to show off their status. The laws were favoring those privileged to wear those gems. As time passed the laws gave way to others to wear those engagement ring and wedding band.

There are different patterns of engagement ring and wedding bands which contained different patterns of stones in it. In one of the pattern there were six birthstones that was related to the parents of the couples too.

It was only during the 20th century that the diamond engagement ring and wedding band was popularized by heavy marketing campaign by the DeBeers.

The male engagement rings were not that popular

The male engagement ring was attempted to popularize by the United State jewelry industry but in vain. However the wedding bands were made popular among men.

The engagement ring and wedding band was established as a tradition only for the females.Over the years the cost of the engagement ring and wedding band has been increasing.

It was a token of assurance that the wedding is on the anvil. Whatever you could afford was made mandatory.Now-a-days the cost that is expected to be spent on an engagement ring and wedding band is about two week’s or two month’s salary of the man.

In the USA the engagement ring and wedding band are considered as ‘conditional’ gifts whereby the woman who accepts that is said to be accepted the proposal of the marriage.

If the woman calls off the marriage the engagement ring and wedding band has to be returned to the man. Moreover if the man calls off, then it need not be returned and is considered as a gift.

It was in the Meyer vs. Metnick case that the engagement ring was treated as a conditional gift so that it has to be returned if the marriage is called off. It is to find out who broke the marriage.