Tag Archives: man-gagement rings

Wedding Band or Wedding “Brand”?

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From time to time, we discuss men’s wedding bands. Should they wear them? Do they have to? Should they match the bride’s wedding band? Should they be simple or plain, gold or platinum, yadda, yadda, yadda. Never before has it entered my mind that the wedding band is intended to keep your husband from cheating on you after marriage. I thought it was to signify that your love is like a circle, it has no beginning and no end.  It appears as though someone has other ideas.

Introducing the titanium “anti-cheating” wedding band, which temporarily brands your partner’s finger with the words, “I’m Married.”  The ring is available on TheCheeky.com, a  website that specializes in inappropriate gifts. Inappropriate?  You bet! Problem solved? Not so much.

One problem is that someone thinks a wedding ring stops cheating. Everyone who thinks this is true, raise your hand ( put your hands down). Do you think Rielle Hunter had no idea John Edwards was Married? Do you think this ring would have stopped her…or him?

Another problem is that if you are placing this on someone’s finger (for real) in a wedding ceremony it means you think they can’t be trusted. If you don’t trust them on your wedding day or in the beginning of the marriage, you don’t have a chance in five years.

Having said all of that, I do think there is a market for everything.  If you are into satire and have a delightfully inappropriate sense of humor, this might be the perfect ring for both of you. Otherwise, you are better off exchanging rings with tracking devices.

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

 

With this ring, I thee view with paranoia: This titanium "anti-cheating" wedding band temporarily brands your partner's finger with the words, "I'm Married."

Man-gagement Rings…. Yea or Nay?

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The practice of proposing with a diamond ring ( to seal the deal) dates back to the 15th century. A practice that until recently has strictly been the job of the man to present his future bride wth a sparkly token of his affection. More than just a token of affection, it is a way of saying “You’re mine, now and you’re  officially off limits to everyone else.”  So, for the duration of the engagement the bride is known to be off-limits and yet the groom has no identifying marks to tell other women “Back off – he’s taken!” Of course this is an over-simplification but, it reminds us that although you are not yet married, the engagement is a serious commitment.

Abut two years ago jewelers started to see a new trend in engagement rings, one they call “man- gagement’ rings. The sales are up over two hundred percent and it seems to be catching on. Although this may seem ludicrous at first, it has caught on to the point where 45% of brides on a brides.com survey reported they would be happy to invest in a man-gagement ring. Realisticaly for less than a thousand dollars to ‘mark your territory’ it seems like a bargain. One of the more famous trendsetters is Jennifer Hudson, who slipped a $15,000 Neil Lane ring on then-boyfriend David Otunga.

The man-gagement ring is not the same as it’s female counterpart in many ways:
It is not to be worn with the wedding band on the same finger. It is generally switched to the other hand after the wedding.

The diamond industry has yet to impose a 2 months salary guideline for the purchase price.

The rings are usually very masculine and although some may feature diamonds, the diamond is not the focal point.

Jewelers speculate this trend stems from two things: the legalization of gay marriages and the rise of women proposing to men. Whatever the reason, the jewelry industry is reaping the benefits, reporting that they can’t keep these rings on the shelves.

Of course not all men are into this trend, especially those who don’t even plan to wear  wedding band but, I can name five men who would wear one in a heartbeat…. and do so proudly. I can also name five men who wear diamond pinky rings and one of them has a pinky ring featuring three 2 carat flawless diamonds. If you are counting, that is 6 carats of diamonds  and he is not an Elvis impersonator. Trust me, there is nothing wrong with a man who would wear a diamond ring… to me they are just secure with their masculinity. I love this trend and I hope it continues to grow.