Unique engagement rings symbolize the private and public avowal of a love that two people in love share. You are also aware that the ring speaks of a commitment to hold together that affection in deep respect for the rest of their lives. According to historical accounts, the giving of a ring from the fiancé to the fiancée after swearing to marry the woman dates back to an ancient Roman engagement rite.
In the movies, the fiancé surprises his fiancée with a marriage proposal and a ring in a romantic interlude. But you’re probably one conservative swain who wants to declare his love in the presence of people close to both you and your sweetheart. And if you are sold out to the idea of giving unique engagement rings other than the usual diamond-studded rings, you can check with your jeweler or the web for information on the following:
- Celtic engagement rings
- Mokume gane engagement rings
- Non-diamond engagements rings
- Antique engagement rings
- Figural engagement rings
- Filigree Engagement rings
You will surely discover more unusual engagement rings as you surf along for more information on engagement ring design.
Engagement Rings for Men
This type of engagement rings is gaining popularity among the less conservative prospective bridegrooms. However, the idea of being proposed to by a woman is still repelled by many men. Are you one of those who abhor wearing an engagement ring? Are you against showing the public that you are engaged to be married?
To men who have learned to be comfortable wearing a token of their impending commitment to tie the knot in marriage, it is not a crazy idea after all. To keep that image of masculinity untarnished, men engagement rings are subtle, understated rings. Designed and intended to be unobtrusive, engagement rings for men permit the wearer to do his work and engage in sports. Simple bands with modest etchings require minimal cleaning. Two-tone rings using yellow and white gold can be designed with a masculine finish.
Or you can use other metals and alloys for that matter. The Japanese mokume gane engagement rings of highly patterned metal alloys are a rarity but are ideal for men’s rings. Titanium engagement ring is another classic creation from expensive metals. It is intrinsic in titanium to exude brilliant shades of blue, purple and other colors. Unique engagement rings from these metals truly look distinctive without being ostentatious.
Engagement rings for men today are slowly evolving into more elegant masterpieces with the use of precious stones. Still maintaining that subtlety in design, there is no center stone to catch attention. Several small diamonds may be channel set into a band, making them less prone to damage. Or an onyx base may be set at the center and a solitaire small diamond imbedded somewhere. One trend that is gaining ground is the use of the birthstones of the fiancé and the fiancée. These are interspersed with tiny diamonds for greater clarity.
Engagement Rings For Women
Diamonds are forever, as one James Bond movie claims. These sparkling gems are also bruited to be a woman’s greatest friend. That diamonds are unequivocally the most popular gemstone preferred for unique engagement rings is beyond dispute. You can be sure no fiancée would ever have second thoughts in accepting a marriage proposal with a high carat diamond engagement ring.
3 stone engagement rings can indeed shine as if there’s no tomorrow. If you can have your way to be a part in the choosing of diamond engagement ring settings, make sure that the center stone will be much bigger than the two stones on the two sides. This will result to a highly visual and marvelous impact, and yet you will be spending less. A single one-carat diamond in a solitaire design can cost a lot of money. On the other hand, three diamonds with a total of one carat can be a lot cheaper. The greater number of diamonds is used for a specific total diamond weight in a ring, the lower will be the cost of the diamonds. A three-stone engagement ring can broaden the designer’s palette insuring him of a wider field to apply his creative design ideas.
Appraising the true state of diamonds in 3 stone engagement rings can be a tricky task. If you’re in doubt about the quality of the diamonds you’re putting onto your engagement ring, don’t hesitate to consult some licensed appraisers for a small fee. Be absolutely sure of the four C’s of a diamond before you make any payment on the engagement ring:
- Cut: Is that the shape you ordered?
- Carat size: Have it weighed properly.
- Clarity: Inspect the stone under a microscope to check how clear the stone is of any natural imperfections.
- Color: The shade of the diamond could be white, which is more expensive, or yellow, which tends to reduce the price of the stone.
Expensive engagement rings are invariably diamond-studded; but yellow gold engagement rings made of fine 24 karat gold embedded with a high-carat solitaire diamond may command a stiff price. Gold prices today are fantastically high. However, yellow gold engagement rings can last longer if they use an 18-karat gold base which is made stronger with certain alloys and contains 75% gold.
If you’re trying to trim the budget and veer away from expensive engagement rings, try to turn your attention back to unusual engagement rings. And if you’re really dying to have the sparkle of diamonds on your engagement ring, find out more about CZ engagement rings. If you think it is unbelievable and stranger than fiction, think again. If you’re not a trained and professional gemologist, you can never tell a natural diamond from a man-made cubic zirconia (CZ). CZ is so deceptively alike the real diamond. In fact, many bad guys out there have made money from selling this stuff for real diamonds. The real CZ mineral is indeed a twin of diamond in even rarer quantities. In the late 1970’s, a Russian scientist invented the synthetic CZ that looked like the real CZ.
Of course, you may not spot the difference now; but, sooner or later, those CZ engagement rings will get dull and get scratched because it is not as hard as diamond. If you wish your unique engagement rings to last, then you will have to look for real diamonds. Do not join the CZ sensation that took the world by storm. Unless you’re going to replace the ring later when you have more money to spend, then you better think twice before you make the final decision.
If you want the real thing with its own magic sparkle, try tanzanite, mystic topaz or aquamarine. These real gemstones can be made to look magnificent and pricey with little diamonds as accents on the edges. Or try something antique. Heirloom rings and antique rings can be found in the right pawnshops or auction sales. They are simply divine with their antique engagement ring settings.
You can even try to design engagement ring to be used as wedding engagement rings to cut on costs. There is a school of thought that sneers at the folly of engagement rings wedding bands — that what matters most is the actual wedding band or wedding ring. These are the rings that are truly symbolic of the couple’s lifetime commitment “to have and to hold; for better or for worse” — that makes unique engagement rings sparkling instruments of transition from betrothal to marriage.
