Be it simple or be it elaborate, the actual wedding ceremony and more specifically, the exchange of the wedding rings forms the centre of most weddings across cultures worldwide.

Interesting Trivia: The wedding band or ring is a circle to signify a relation without a start or an end – an eternal love. Marriage too is believed to be an eternal relation; in India it is believed that marriage ties a couple together for seven lives. The empty part in the centre also has its own meaning – it is the entry way or gate to each other’s hearts.

So how did this simple piece of jewellery become such an important symbol of love and commitment?

The tradition of rings as a piece of jewellery has been around since times immemorial. The earliest rings were most probably made of simple plant stems or tree bark twisted into a ring to wear on a finger. The credit for presenting a ring at a social event perhaps goes to the Egyptians. The first metal rings were of course made by the Egyptians, but it was the Romans who really turned them into symbolic pieces of jewellery items. A band on the ring finger of the left hand meant the wearer is married.

Initially, only women were required to wear a wedding rings or band. Men started wearing wedding bands only in the last century. It was actually a war, World War II, which got men to start wearing wedding rings. Men’s wedding rings came into existence for the soldiers fighting in a far off continent as a reminder of the love they had left behind.

Interesting Trivia: While the Egyptians, the Romans, and the Western civilizations started the tradition of exchanging wedding bands ages ago, the more traditional eastern countries have also accepted this trend in recent decades.

If you are wondering how a wedding rings differs from an engagement ring, there are some subtle differences that you can look for to tell which one is which. An engagement or a proposal ring is typically a precious metal or diamond studded ring with a solitaire in the centre. The wedding band, on the other hand, is a simple precious metal band. Some brides prefer a matching wedding band with their solitaire engagement ring, a “Bridal Set”.

Who doesn’t dream of this romantic proposal?

Interesting Trivia: The concept of modern “Engagement Ring”, which has become an expression of love and commitment of marriage worldwide, was born in Europe in the 15th century.

Let’s look at some interesting historical facts about the engagement ring. While rings have been in existence and use for thousands of years (they have been discovered in Egyptian as well as Sumerian tombs), the ancient civilizations never used the rings as expressions or symbols of love. They were mainly used as adornments to be worn to show off status, stature and taste.

So when exactly did the concept of an engagement ring, that sets it apart from any other ring, come into existence? If we trace the roots of the engagement ring back to the third century BC, we can see that Egyptians were known to exchange rings made of gold or silver. They wore them on the ring finger of the left hand which represented marriage and symbolized love as they believed that the vein of that particular finger connected directly with the heart.

The first certified and recorded mention of a man betrothing a woman for marriage goes back to 1477 when Archduke Maximilian of Austria presented a special engagement ring crafted with diamonds to Mary of Burgundy.

The custom of presenting a Daimond engagement ring a highly artistic multi-diamond rings with a solitaire in the centre that caught the fancy of lovers. s an expression of love and commitment became popular from then on, though not all men presented diamond rings to their ladies back in the day in Brazil and later on in South Africa, that Daimond engagement ring became popular. From simple flat rings at the. It was only after abundant supplies of diamonds were found, first outset, design artists soon created

After 1950s, the concept of diamond engagement ring became even more popular worldwide after De Beer’s launched their famous “A Diamond is Forever” marketing campaign.

Hard Fact: Rings are a part of both the engagement and the Wedding. However, the rings in both these symbolic celebrations of love differ. While a Wedding band is usually a plain metal band (gold, silver or platinum), an engagement ring is a more elaborate affair with either a solitaire or a bigger diamond in the centre with smaller stones set around it.