Diamond engagement rings are a bit of a tradition, but they are not to everyone’s tastes and some people will not wear them for ethical reasons. So what are the alternatives? If you do not want to appear to be bucking tradition and instead show that you are a modern bride to be, what sort of things should you be considering?
Man Made Stones
For people who will not wear real diamonds for ethical reasons, man-made engagement rings could be the answer. To the untrained eye, they look just as good and are a lot less expensive. Cubic Zirconia is the most commonly used, but there are several on the market. Unless an expert looks very closely, no one would know the difference.
Love Knots
Love knots do not usually have any stones in them at all and are meant to represent the two of you together. Some people use these as wedding rings as well. They are made by interlocking two overhand knots that become inseparable, just like to two people that are to be married.
Silicone Rings
Silicone wedding rings are for the really modern brides to be and brides, as they are a fairly new innovation. They come in lots of different styles and colors, and will show that you want something different. They will also save you a lot of expense.
The Claddagh Ring
This is a traditional Irish ring, steeped in history going back as far as Roman times. It represents hands joined in faith and also has a heart and crown symbolizing friendship, love, and loyalty. The clasped hands are said to represent the wedding vows, and they are used as both engagement and wedding rings.
Gemstones With Meaning
Of course, diamonds are not the only gemstones, there are hundreds of others, some of which have special meanings attached to them. Agate, for instance, is associated with truth and protection, Garnet with commitment and devotion, ruby with love and happiness and aquamarine with the courage to overcome fears. There are many more with meanings, and a quick search online will find a full list of them for you. Even diamonds have a meaning behind them.
Family Heirlooms
These can have very special meanings to either party and could have any number of different stones. For many years, engagement tended to be much more flamboyant than they are now, and a family heirloom will look totally different to anything you can buy today.
Interlocking Rings
These were very popular in the 1970’s, and have made a resurgence in recent years. The idea behind them is that they come in two interlocking parts. The first part is the engagement ring, and the second that locks into it is the wedding ring. They sometimes have small stones in them, but generally are just plain gold or silver.
A quick look around a few jewelers and you will soon realize there is an enormous choice of rings available, any of which could be used as your engagement ring.
Vika
Sounds really interesting! Thanks a lot for sharing)