How boring would this life be without reasons to celebrate? From the moment we are born until the time we leave this world, we go through several milestones that change our lives. Thanks to ancient traditions and rituals across different cultures, we have found many ways to commemorate each stage of life. Among the many traditions, one that has survived to the present day is the gifting of jewelry. Very effortlessly, it has the ability to make any person feel special and any occasion memorable. Here we take you through the list of different types of rings that you can wear or gift at different stages of life.
Eternity Rings
Eternity rings are to mark the first stage of life, which is the birth of a child, as they aptly represent the eternal circle of life. This is given as a gift to welcome the couple’s first child. Men can give to their women, or parents can give to their daughters who have become new mothers. Now, eternity rings are not only for mothers, but for babies too.
Usually, they are embellished with a birthstone, but diamonds are also becoming a new preference. In addition to this, eternity rings are a popular anniversary gift. It also signifies eternal companionship with partners. Some people combine the two occasions; they wear eternity bands after a few years of marriage and at the beginning of a new phase, that is, becoming parents.
Purity Rings
Purity rings are popularly known as abstinence rings, purity rings, or chastity rings. They come into the picture when a child steps into his teenage years or adolescence. As the name says, they are a symbol of the promise of purity and chastity until marriage. It's a personal commitment to God. Parents pass down or gift the ring to their children on their 13th, 14th, or 15th birthdays, and young adults also wear it many times by themselves. It is about keeping your mind, heart, and body pure and committing yourself to the service of God.
The ring is worn on the left ring finger and is removed once the marriage band comes on. You can also wear it by attaching it as a pendant to a neck piece. The Purity ring is made of the same material as other rings, like yellow gold, white gold, sterling silver, acrylic, aluminum, and pewter, and is adorned with stones, diamonds, and inscriptions such as "true love waits", "purity", "love is patient", and "when the time is right". You can get them made in alignment with your personal style.
The tradition started in 1990 and continues to the present day. Thanks to celebrities like the Jonas brothers, Selena Gomez, and Miley Cyrus, more people know about purity rings. They wore the purity rings in their teenage years and have been supportive of their significance.
Promise Rings/Pre-Engagement Rings
Promise rings are very famous for signifying the courtship period. It is usually exchanged in a relationship between the two to make a lifetime promise to each other. Also known as a commitment ring, when given after some period of dating with or without plans of marriage, and a pre-engagement ring, when given as a precursor to engagement, the ring is a way of expressing a couple’s commitment to each other and relationship status to the world.
You can wear this on the left ring finger and shift it to the right hand after getting engaged. They are less expensive and blingy. The band is thinner, and the solitaire or other stones are smaller. All the extravagant features are kept for the engagement ring. Solitaire, diamond cluster, gemstone, and three-stone engagement rings are popular styles. In medieval times, Posie Rings with love messages were worn as Promise Rings. They used to be lovers’ gifts. It carried a secret message of loyalty, friendship, faith, and love. This promise ring is different from the purity ring. Here, the commitment is to a partner instead of God.
Famous couples such as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Nick Jonas and Priyanka Chopra, Miley Cyrus and Liam Hemsworth, and Kylie Jenner and Tyga have all worn promise rings while dating. Now you can comprehend that they hold quite a lot of value.
Engagement Rings
Once you are fully ready to make a marriage commitment with your partner, giving and exchanging an engagement ring is the first and most important step to making it official. It is gifted by a man to a woman at the time of the proposal or immediately after accepting the proposal. In some traditions, couples also exchange the ring. The tradition of wearing the ring started in 1477, when Archduke Maximilian of Austria proposed to Mary of Burgundy with a ring. We also get to see this ring reference in Shakespearean dramas.
Engagement rings are classy and full of shine. Most people opt for a strong-quality metal with a large diamond in a princess cut, rectangular cut, square cut, or cushion cut. Popular engagement ring designs include pave, cathedral, halo, split shank, cluster, three stones, channel, swirl, vintage, and estate. Because of their intricate designs, they are expensive, but if you are someone who wants to go for cost-effective options, then you can choose simple designs or estate rings.
Every young woman dreams of wearing the best possible design for her engagement ring. It is undoubtedly one of the most special pieces of jewelry for her, as it commemorates a new relationship and a new beginning in her life.
Wedding Rings
Wedding bands are exchanged at the wedding ceremony. They are mostly in the form of classic band styles in gold with small diamonds. They are simpler and smaller than engagement rings. You can buy a wedding band or ring that matches your engagement ring, or you can have the matching pair made. Platinum plain bands, pave halo bands, prong and channel setting bands, and vintage rings are all popular styles. It is to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand with the engagement ring.
Anniversary Rings (Eternity Bands)
We give anniversary rings to celebrate the milestones of one year, ten years, 25 years, or 50 years of marriage. They are worn with engagement and wedding rings, but there are no set rules for designs. Even matching it with an engagement and wedding ring isn't necessary; rather, you can get them in different metals, as mix-and-match stacking of rings gives a unique look. They are not at all subtle, like wedding bands.
Silver and gold eternity bands are the oldest and most obvious choices for an anniversary. Historically, eternity bands were gifted to a woman by her man after the completion of 60 years of marriage, as they represent eternal love. Today, people give it on their 1st and 10th year anniversary too, as they are no less than milestones.
Let's look at ring styles for every milestone in marriage.
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1st Anniversary: Traditionally, it is significant to exchange gold jewelry on the first anniversary. A simple, elegant, and lightweight gold stackable ring with small diamonds will be perfect for your woman.
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5th Anniversary: The stone for the 5th anniversary is sapphire. It comes in rich pink and blue hues. Sapphire, the symbol of royalty and abundance, is strong and durable too. This heavenly and beautiful-looking stone is believed to have mystical healing powers. Not only that, it represents faithfulness, which will add extra meaning to your bond. Princess Diana’s blue sapphire ring has been everyone’s favorite.
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10th Anniversary : The ritual is to give diamonds on 10 years completion. This achievement is celebrated with stone that is timeless, durable, and strong. One wishes for the marriage to include or be blessed with the same qualities. These eternity bands are apt to make your queen feel loved and extra special on this wedding anniversary.
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25th Anniversary: To mark 25 years of a healthy relationship, silver is regarded as the appropriate choice because of its highly sturdy and long lasting nature. It is a great time to renew your marriage vows with sterling silver eternity bands. A silver shank with clustered diamonds can be a classy and elegant option too.
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50th Anniversary: Gold, being the symbol of health and wealth, is the chosen metal for the golden jubilee. This is not a new tradition, but rather one that dates back to the Middle Ages. This perfectly signifies the strong bond of 50 years. White gold diamond bands, yellow gold classic eternity bands, three-tone gold diamond rings, or bands with names engraved on them can be gifted. Couples can get matching bands with their names engraved on them too. Nothing is more fine and first-rate than gold.
Mother’s Rings and Grandmother’s Rings
As the name suggests, it is meant to be given to mothers and grandmothers on Mother’s Day or on their birthdays. These types of rings are created in different varieties and, most importantly, they incorporate the birthstones of the woman’s children or grandchildren. The birthstones can be from children who are still alive as well as those who have passed away. Another special thing about this ring is that it can be personally customized with stones set into one band or in several stackable bands, and the names of children or grandchildren, or personal messages, are also engraved on it. This is a very special ring that is desired by many women throughout the world.
