Rising Trend: Mengagement Rings

Contemporary Men's Engagement Ring

The engagement ring is often only attributed to the lady in the relationship, the wife-to-be.  But, in more recent times the equality of relationships has broken the tradition of the male asking the female, and it has become acceptable for men to enjoy celebrating their engagement with the symbol of a ring.

Whether the woman turns the tables and does the proposing herself, or she just wants her man to wear a ring marking their engagement after he has proposed to her, the men's engagement ring is a true statement of love and is growing in popularity.  Jewellery retailers are all now beginning to market engagement rings exclusively for men.

Male engagement rings are worn in parts of Scandinavia and in the Basque regions of Spain, but until now they were scarce on the market in Britain, sold only by upmarket and on-demand designers.

An increasing number of women are expressing their belief that it is a good idea for them to ask a man for his hand in marriage. This is more to maintain and promote equality, as well as both the ‘giving and taking’ involved in a well balanced relationship.  Until now ladies who have popped the question may have marked the special occasion by buying their husbands-to-be a watch or other jewellery.

The ring works as the perfect outward sign of an impending happy marriage and life together, and it also works well for civil partnerships.

For those considering the idea, there is a certain etiquette on how men should wear their engagement rings.  They should not wear a wedding and engagement ring on the same finger as women traditionally do once married.  Rather, they must wear the engagement ring on the left hand ring finger up until the wedding when they are to transfer it to their right hand ring finger and wear the wedding ring on the left.  For men who like to wear rings this arrangement works well as they will have two long-lasting additions to keep and show off, one on each hand.

Men's engagement ring with three small diamonds

Most popular is the darker titanium ring, which can be styled well for a thick and masculine finish, though is often set with a dazzling diamond.  Less obtrusive diamonds are preferred, with classic round brilliant cut diamonds making the perfect centre feature for a simple band.  Designs commonly feature a solitaire diamond set directly into the metal, or three small diamonds arranged in a simple pattern.

Yellow gold or silver are also popular as they make for simple, but bolder designs which suit the male finger better.  Tungsten is more frequently being used for rings, particularly for men’s creations because they are several times stronger than gold and so allow for more wear and tear damage.  Black titanium is a very good choice also because it has a very dark hue which disguises blemishes or tarnishes on the metal which might develop over time, and it can infused with different colours which might work well if the make is simple.  Plain bands of gold, silver or titanium or wider designs with a different metal band in the middle (e.g. platinum with a yellow gold central band) are also popular.

So women, why wait for your man to propose?  Go out there and choose him the perfect engagement ring...but don’t forget you’ll need to consider his wedding ring as well!