Eternity Rings

History of the Eternity Ring

The eternity ring appeared about 4,000 years ago at the time of the Egyptians who were the first recorded people to make and wear eternity rings. Eternity rings are essentially a continuous circle of metal studded with stones either halfway or the full way around the ring. The eternity ring's history developed in parallel with the wedding ring, where a similar symbolism of a circle made with precious metal, which has no beginning or end, reflected everlasting or eternal love between two people. In addition, some eternity rings have multiple strands or are plaited to emphasize unity. Early eternity rings featured precious stones sunk into the metal (set flush), but the rings have evolved over time and today the gemstones are rarely flush set and the diamond has become the preferred gemstone, with its beauty, sparkle and expense, making it the ultimate symbol of an eternal or everlasting love.

Eternity Ring Choices

There are many decisions to make when selecting an eternity ring. The main choices break down into the following categories: half eternity ring or full eternity ring, claw set or channel set, the shape of the diamonds and/or gemstones. Choosing a half or full eternity ring simply depends on the budget available, personal taste and if the ring needs to be resized in the future. Claw set diamonds are literally where each diamond is set with thin claws. Channel set is where the diamonds are set in a channel, princess cut or emerald cut diamonds are most suitable for this as they have a flat edge. With round diamonds, a gap is formed, which can be left or filled in with little metal beads creating what is known as a thread setting. Channel and claw set eternity rings give a more brilliant sparkle relative to flush set diamonds which shield more of the light.

Celebration Rings

Eternity rings have more recently become known as celebration rings, encourage by high profile marketing campaigns by jewellers such as Tiffany. There is no real correct answer as to when is the most appropriate time for giving an eternity ring, as there are widely varying opinions about this matter. In the UK, at the birth of a child or marking a wedding anniversary (especially the first) seems to be some of the favourites. They are usually worn on the third finger of the left hand, next to the engagement and wedding ring. But some of the more delicate eternity rings are even taking the place of the more traditional plain wedding rings while others are used as right hand rings.

Classic and Contemporary

At Seventy Seven Diamonds, our eternity ring collection consists of classic and contemporary or modern eternity rings. The difference between the two comes down to how delicate the diamond are set. Classic eternity rings are either claw set or if they are channel set, the minimal amount of metal has been use to set the diamonds. With modern or contemporary eternity rings, the metal or channels used to set the diamonds will be more substantial. If used with engagement rings, in general, the classic engagement rings will be most suitable.