Engagement Ring

In Western tradition, an engagement ring is a ring worn by a woman on her left-hand ring finger indicating her engagement to be married. It is customary for the ring to be worn on the right-hand ring finger in certain countries. By modern convention, the ring is usually presented as a betrothal gift by a man to his prospective bride while or directly after she accepts his marriage proposal. It represents a formal agreement to future marriage.
Similar traditions purportedly date to classical times, dating back from an early usage reportedly referring to the fourth finger of the left hand as containing the vena amoris or "vein of love".
In the United States today, it is becoming more common, but still quite rare, that a woman will also buy an engagement or promise ring for her partner at the time of the engagement.
In Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Germany both the man and the woman wear engagement rings, most often in the form of matching plain bands of red gold. In these countries the man's engagement ring often also eventually serves as the wedding ring. Some men wear two rings, but this is more rare. The female is usually given a diamond wedding ring. In Spain usually, the woman buys an engagement watch band for the man after accepting a marriage proposal.

Material and design

Designs of engagement rings have varied greatly over the years. Contemporary fashions for ring materials are a gold, platinum, silver or, rarely, titanium band mounting a single diamond. The establishment of the diamond engagement ring as a standard in Western culture is a result of one of the most successful advertising campaigns in history, by the world's leading diamond producer de Beers, in the 1940s.[1]
An engagement ring is often significantly expensive and acts as a visible demonstration of a man's commitment to his betrothed. The rationale for using a diamond is that it is the most enduring, beautiful and expensive gem. However, some people prefer different gems or semi-precious stones such as Sapphires, star sapphires, emeralds, and rubies. Pearls and opals are rare, because these are soft stones.
In some European countries such as Germany, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, engagement rings are usually plain gold bands without a gem. In others such as France, engagement rings usually mount a colored gem rather than a diamond.
Gold and platinum are recommended by many jewelers, because of their inherently higher value and because these metals are more durable than silver. Often a gold or silver ring will employ a platinum setting as it provides better protection for the stone.
Titanium and stainless steel are becoming more popular because of their lower cost and higher strength. These materials as well as traditional jewelry metals like gold and platinum that have been treated and work-hardened allow for a type of setting called a tension ring which is popular because it causes the illusion of a floating stone. Titanium and steel must be machined on a lathe because the temperatures required for proper fabrication are much too high for a small jewelry operation. A titanium ring might cause problems with removal in case of an emergency, as hospital tools are unable to cut some grades of titanium, although the titanium ring maker's FAQ challenges this notion. The results of their tests have shown that a manual ring cutter can cut through a ring in under two minutes and electric tools would be faster. Regular electrician pliers will cut a gold ring in under a second.

Price

The price for an engagement ring can vary considerably. Usually, they can be found within the range of a few hundred dollars to several thousand dollars. Price varies by the material used, the value of the diamond, and retailer. A "two months salary" conventional buying price for a ring guideline originated from DeBeers marketing materials in the early 20th century, in an effort to increase the sale of diamonds. While some couples follow this guideline, many others spend less than two months salary, preferring to save for a house or less sentimental purchase.

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