5 ms·

Big diamond rings still seems to be mainly an US thing still: https://www.engagementringbible.com/the-most-popular-engagement-ring-styles-country-by-country/ ht

by Gys 6y ago

Big diamond rings still seems to be mainly an US thing still: https://www.engagementringbible.com/the-most-popular-engagement-ring-styles-country-by-country/ https://www.engagementringbible.com/the-most-popular-engagem... I live in Europe and in my experience a stone in a wedding ring is very uncommon.

Lev1a 6y ago
> I live in Europe and in my experience a stone in a wedding ring is very uncommon. My parents married in the GDR during early-mid 80s, for them big diamond rings were definitely out (since one wouldn't have been able to get one anyway) and AFAICT they still really like their old wedding rings from back then: gold, not that wide, the surface looks kinda woven and each ring has three or four tiny specks of diamond integrated into the weaving pattern of the gold. OT: Growing up watching TV series' from abroad (US, UK etc.) I always wondered why people would throw around huge amounts of money for engagement rings (i.e. not even the real wedding ring), then spend thousands or more likely tens of thousands on a wedding, hundreds or more likely thousands on a wedding dress (which will only be worn for one day anyway) and on and on... It just doesn't make sense to me spending such a huge amount of money making a committed relationship official when what actually matters is the sentiment between the significant others not some pathetic posturing in front of "friends and family".
- dvfjsdhgfv 6y ago
  It's a cultural thing. Each culture has their own marriage-related customs. When you want to get married in the USA, you basically need to go through it, because everyone has been perfectly conditioned to expect a certain ritual and setting. If you are male, you have to offer a diamond ring. (As a feminist you could ask: why not the opposite? Or: why don't both offer diamonds?) If you are female, you have to put on a certain dress, and in general you are expected to dream about the wedding and everything related. What is especially ridiculous is that people get away with calling it "the happiest day of your life". Think about it: if it really is, then there is not much to expect after marriage. It's time people start changing their attitude to this ritual and focus more on understanding the ways they could make each one happier in the long term.
Ensorceled 6y ago
Canada's right there with the US on the big diamond thing.
kwhitefoot 6y ago
Traditionally the diamond ring is an engagement ring in the UK. The actual wedding ring is usually a plain gold band. At least that is how it was when I was young; fifty years ago. :-)
- grishka 6y ago
  > Traditionally the diamond ring is an engagement ring in the UK. The actual wedding ring is usually a plain gold band. Wait, these are different rings? You have two of them? In Russia, people don't propose to each other kneeling with a ring like they do in American movies. They exchange rings at the wedding registration, and those rings usually don't have any stones in them.
  - Nursie 6y ago
    In the UK, yes. Traditionally a shiny, fancy ring possibly with stones for the engagement, then a more plain wedding band. You wear the band all the time, the fancy one as well when you want to dress up.
  - xyzelement 6y ago
    Grishka, DA! Well, in Russian there're definitely words for "obruchal'noye" I "svadebnoye" rings, so they aren't the same. Agree when my parents got married in the USSR, there was only the wedding band. But somehow the history of Russia and its language has both. In many cultures, the engagement is a commitment to a marriage and is signified with a ring, and then the wedding itself is signified with another ring. As the other person said, the engagement ring is generally more ornate that the wedding one. The engagement ring signifies among other things, a hefty commitment and seriousness about getting married. The wedding band signifies the infinity you'll spend together. In Judaism, the wedding ring is meant to be completely plain to not mar the infinity aspect of it in any way.
    - grishka 6y ago
      Hm. I've never actually heard anyone say "свадебное кольцо". I guess the language evolved. Maybe the current tradition, as many other ones did, originated in the USSR out of its planned economy and constant deficit.
Lio 6y ago
Should point out it’s the engagement ring that has the diamond. A wedding rings themselves are plain bands of metal, in my experience.

by Gys 6y ago

Lev1a 6y ago

> I live in Europe and in my experience a stone in a wedding ring is very uncommon. My parents married in the GDR during early-mid 80s, for them big diamond rings were definitely out (since one wouldn't have been able to get one anyway) and AFAICT they still really like their old wedding rings from back then: gold, not that wide, the surface looks kinda woven and each ring has three or four tiny specks of diamond integrated into the weaving pattern of the gold. OT: Growing up watching TV series' from abroad (US, UK etc.) I always wondered why people would throw around huge amounts of money for engagement rings (i.e. not even the real wedding ring), then spend thousands or more likely tens of thousands on a wedding, hundreds or more likely thousands on a wedding dress (which will only be worn for one day anyway) and on and on... It just doesn't make sense to me spending such a huge amount of money making a committed relationship official when what actually matters is the sentiment between the significant others not some pathetic posturing in front of "friends and family".

dvfjsdhgfv 6y ago
It's a cultural thing. Each culture has their own marriage-related customs. When you want to get married in the USA, you basically need to go through it, because everyone has been perfectly conditioned to expect a certain ritual and setting. If you are male, you have to offer a diamond ring. (As a feminist you could ask: why not the opposite? Or: why don't both offer diamonds?) If you are female, you have to put on a certain dress, and in general you are expected to dream about the wedding and everything related. What is especially ridiculous is that people get away with calling it "the happiest day of your life". Think about it: if it really is, then there is not much to expect after marriage. It's time people start changing their attitude to this ritual and focus more on understanding the ways they could make each one happier in the long term.

Ensorceled 6y ago

Canada's right there with the US on the big diamond thing.

kwhitefoot 6y ago

Traditionally the diamond ring is an engagement ring in the UK. The actual wedding ring is usually a plain gold band. At least that is how it was when I was young; fifty years ago. :-)

grishka 6y ago
> Traditionally the diamond ring is an engagement ring in the UK. The actual wedding ring is usually a plain gold band. Wait, these are different rings? You have two of them? In Russia, people don't propose to each other kneeling with a ring like they do in American movies. They exchange rings at the wedding registration, and those rings usually don't have any stones in them.
- Nursie 6y ago
  In the UK, yes. Traditionally a shiny, fancy ring possibly with stones for the engagement, then a more plain wedding band. You wear the band all the time, the fancy one as well when you want to dress up.
- xyzelement 6y ago
  Grishka, DA! Well, in Russian there're definitely words for "obruchal'noye" I "svadebnoye" rings, so they aren't the same. Agree when my parents got married in the USSR, there was only the wedding band. But somehow the history of Russia and its language has both. In many cultures, the engagement is a commitment to a marriage and is signified with a ring, and then the wedding itself is signified with another ring. As the other person said, the engagement ring is generally more ornate that the wedding one. The engagement ring signifies among other things, a hefty commitment and seriousness about getting married. The wedding band signifies the infinity you'll spend together. In Judaism, the wedding ring is meant to be completely plain to not mar the infinity aspect of it in any way.
  - grishka 6y ago
    Hm. I've never actually heard anyone say "свадебное кольцо". I guess the language evolved. Maybe the current tradition, as many other ones did, originated in the USSR out of its planned economy and constant deficit.

Lio 6y ago

Should point out it’s the engagement ring that has the diamond. A wedding rings themselves are plain bands of metal, in my experience.