Both wedding bands and engagement rings are very special items of jewellery; in fact, they are more than just jewellery - they are symbols of many emotions and promises such as:

• Love
• Commitment
• Fidelity
• Eternity
• Honour

But where - and why - did these popular and sentimental pieces of jewellery stem from?

The History Of Wedding Bands

These items of jewellery have a history that spans many centuries and passes through many countries from all around planet. Below, you will find a brief history of wedding and engagement ring, as reported from country to country.

EGYPTIANS

The now-famous wedding band is thought to have originated in Ancient Egypt, where it is said that plant sections were fashioned in to circles to signify never-ending and immortal love. It was thought that fourth finger (which we now know as ring finger) contained a special vein that was connected directly to heart, and therefore this became official finger for wedding band.

ROMANS

The Romans also agreed with Egyptians with regards to wedding ring finger and its meaning, but rather than offering wedding bands as a symbol of love, they awarded them as a symbol of ownership. Roman men would "claim" their woman with giving of a ring.

ASIANS / ARABS

Puzzle rings were a complex type of jewellery that were once popular in Asia, and these jewels had charming knack of being able to fall apart and put back together again - if you knew how to do this, of course. Wealthy Middle Eastern men then began to use these rings as wedding bands for their wives, who were often forced to wear a puzzle ring when their husband was away. The husband would know upon his return whether any of his wives had been disloyal by removing ring whilst he was away, because ring was designed to collapse upon removal and could only be put together again if you had skill and knowledge required.

EUROPEANS

Several centuries ago, Europeans became rather taken with what we would class as an engagement ring, but was then called a Poesy Ring. This ring was given to a loved one as a form of promise, and signified fidelity and love. The Poesy Ring was offered as a pledge of eternal togetherness, much as today's engagement rings are offered as a promise of eternal marriage.

AMERICANS

During Colonial times, all items of jewellery in America were prohibited due to their apparent moral worthlessness. Instead, a more practical thimble was given as a token of love and as a pledge of eternal togetherness. However, after they were married, women tended to remove bottom of their "engagement thimble" to form a type of ring.

History Of Engagement Rings

As time has changed so have consumer traditions and buying patterns. The rich tradition of exchanging vows as a symbol of love and devotion is still a traditional time honored ritual practiced in many cultures. Certain aspects of engagement and marriage have changed with time however. Whereas in times of old a couple might take several outings together in search of perfect engagement rings or wedding bands, in modern times more and more couples are buying engagement rings, wedding rings and wedding bands online. Thanks to internet and resulting access to a global marketplace, couples are realizing they have more options available to them all from comforts of their living room. Some couples are even going to extreme, not only buying engagement rings, wedding rings and wedding bands online, but also purchasing wedding gowns, flowers and even participating in virtual marriages.

How have these changes come about? What can today's modern couple expect when planning a walk down aisle?

The Engagement Ring

The practice of a groom offering his bride to be an engagement ring as a promise of love and affection began nearly 2 centuries ago in United States; many associate giving of engagement rings with a need to express implied commitment and understanding forever. The term "A Diamond is Forever" was in fact used as a means of reinforcing notion that an engagement ring is a commitment from one fiancé to another to live a life together in marital harmony forever. The phrase is also a popular advertising catch phrase that reinforces notion that love and devotion are part of everyday symbolisms that require an outlet for expression.

The use of engagement rings as a token of love and affection is a norm that instilled in hearts and minds of most people, in part due to heavy marketing and advertising from diamond ring and other jewelry manufacturers, and in part based on needs of mankind to project symbolism into everyday living.

Wedding Rings

Once a couple has decided to walk down aisle together, next step is often purchasing wedding rings together. Because there are so many different kinds to choose from, it helps to know what distinguishes one wedding band from another. There are several tips that you can follow to ensure that you purchase wedding bands that suit your individual preferences and budget.

First and foremost consumers should keep in mind that it certainly pays to do their homework. The best advice for wedding ring shoppers is patience. Couples should take time to shop around and look at several different wedding bands, and have in mind an idea of what exactly they are looking for. Far too often customers compromise because they feel they can't find exactly what they are looking for; chances are you can find what you are looking for at a reasonable price, if you give yourself plenty of time to research wedding rings thoroughly before purchasing.