Engagement ring designs have varied greatly throughout the years. Typically the ring starts with a precious band and then ends with a shiny diamond or other gem. Fashions currently demand a gold, platinum or silver band with a single diamond. The world's leading diamond producer, de Beers, arguably led the most successful advertising campaign in history in the 1940s, thus catapulting the diamond engagement ring into a standard in Western culture.
Often intentionally expensive, the engagement ring often signifies a man's permanency. Dropping that much cash on a small piece of jewelry will usually convince the bride to be that her groom will hang around for a while. Many will argue that the diamond is the most enduring, beautiful and expensive gem available. However, many women prefer a different gem than the clear, glass cutting stone. Many prefer colored stones like sapphires, star sapphires, emeralds, or rubies. Pearls and opals also become the "stone" of the ring, but not too often because of their soft nature.
European countries vary in their engagement ring preferences. Many Germany, Norway and Denmark couples prefer a plain gold diamondless band. Other countries, like France, sport couples who prefer rings with colored gems other than diamonds.
Jewelers often recommend gold and platinum because of their higher value and durability. Even so, the gold or silver ring will often employ a platinum setting to protect the stone.
Because of their lower cost and higher strength, titanium and steel are quickly becoming more popular for ring base material. They allow for a tension setting, a setting becoming more popular because it creates the illusion of a floating stone. Milled on a late, titanium and steel often require high temperatures for proper fabrication. Thus small jewelry operation cannot handle their construction. Also, titanium rings pose a health risk: removing them becomes nearly impossible at the hospital. Few hospital tools can cut some grades of titanium. Titanium ring maker's FAQ often challenges this idea. Their tests reveal that a manual ring cutter can break through a ring in under two minutes, and thus electric tools should do so even faster.
No matter what the material, style, or stone, the engagement ring holds value to the one receiving it simply because of who offered it. When given in love, the ring has the potential to symbolize a life together for the rest of the couple's lives. Thus many invest a great deal of time and effort in picking out the perfect ring. Some couples do so together, while others allow the soon to be groom to choose the gift for his bride. In the end, only one thing matters: the happiness of the one offering the ring and the one wearing the ring.
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