A Guide to Men's Wedding Bands Cost
Wedding rings are initially a cultural tradition that holds true to religion, and beliefs date way back to the Ancient Egyptian and Roman eras. Nowadays, Wedding rings and bands are worn with a modern perspective that takes its roots from the ancient civilizations that started wearing bands as a symbol of love and fidelity.
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Shape of the Wedding Band
The Ancient Egyptians believed that the circle is the symbol of eternity. Many thought that the hole in the center represented a gateway leading to future life and events. This belief can also be found in other ancient civilizations like Rome and Greece.
Ring Finger Significance
Because ancient Egyptians believed the vein in the fourth finger, called Vena Amoris, had a vein that ran straight to your heart. They deemed the fourth finger as the "ring finger" and had the wedding rings worn there. This enabled the ring to be connected deeply with matters of the heart and as a symbol of relationships.
Wedding Ring Style Significance
In ancient Egypt, wedding rings were made out of natural substances such as hemp, bone, leather, and ivory. In ancient Rome, wedding rings were actually used as a symbol to purchase a bride from her father. This was looked at as the property of the bride. Later on, people invented metal wedding rings, but these were more of wealth status and not of love due to the financial hardships many had. But when was it that wedding rings became a female proposal? It started when the man, aka the groom, simply started giving the bride an expensive golden ring.
It is essentially a means of trust from the groom to bride to behold his worldly possessions.
Many other interpretations of wedding rings worldwide, like East Asian culture, would have a ring as a statement of a legal contract. Their rings are designed to be a puzzle, and if the ring came off, the groom or husband would know that his bride took it off. Over time, additional gems, diamonds and metals were used to make rings symbolic of love and commitment.
Men's Wedding Bands
For nearly all of the time, right up until the 20th century, wedding rings had been exclusively for women. They were either given to their fathers as payment, all the way to given to the woman to be worn as a symbol of owned & loved.
However, during WWI and II, men started to want to wear rings as a symbol of their love and also as a promise of coming home. The men would wear their wedding rings during the war to indicate remembrance and commitment to their beloved wives at home.
Popular Wedding Bands for Men
When picking out your man's wedding rings, people like to say it is a "collaborative" process, but oftentimes the bride will buy the groom's wedding band to reciprocate their love after receiving an engagement ring. Although, with that being said, men want to take part and pick out their wedding ring. This is why this process is often a collaborative one.
A plain gold band used to be the standard style for a man's wedding ring, but nowadays, there are many more options out there. The rings' styles are a classic dome profile, carved beveled design with etched edges, diamond bands, alternative bands, and silicone.
Most Common Metals for Men's Wedding Bands
The most popular metals for men's wedding bands are gold, platinum, palladium, tungsten, titanium. Each metal has its strengths and weaknesses, so choosing the ideal metal type depends on your man's personality and lifestyle.
- Gold is excellent for someone who loves a classic look. Gold gives off a soft glow that is noticeable but understated.
- Platinum is the most prevalent metal used in wedding bands nowadays because of its sophisticated elements and hypoallergenic character. But because platinum is a rare element found within the Earth's crust, there is another solid and durable element that seriously resembles it, palladium, which is much easier to find.
- Tungsten and titanium are considered alternative metals to the classic gold and silver metals. Because of their strength and durability, these alternative metals are an excellent option for guys who already wear rings or other modern jewelry.
Something to Consider When Shopping for the Best Metal for Your Man
White gold is probably the most popular ring for men, but it contains nickel. Many people are allergic to nickel, so if you are, get a different type of ring. Rose gold is increasing in popularity for its rosy and champagne hue. This is from mixing pure gold and copper. Choose a metal that will fit well with his everyday style and ensure that it’s something that he will want to wear always and forever.
Average Men's Band Cost
The average price of a wedding band for a man can be anywhere from $100 to $2,000. This solely depends on the metal and materials you choose to have. Wedding bands with diamonds are certainly going to cost more than a traditional gold band. Additionally, a platinum ring is going to cost much more than a gold or tungsten band.
Cost of Metal Finishes
There are various finishes like high polish, sand-blasting, milgrain and hammered finish. When there are various finishes and metals within the same band, it can be more expensive to create the band. If the ring is simpler, it will be less expensive. However, metal finishes don’t add a significantly high cost to the wedding band.
Top 3 Tips on How to Shop for Wedding Bands
- To save yourself time and money, do your research on which width you're looking for. Consider the size of your hand and decide if you want a thin or wider band before you go shopping.
- Book a virtual appointment. You'll most likely be able to try on any ring virtually.
- Shop online! There are thousands of options through an online store, and most often, they are less expensive than going in person.
FAQs
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