While the wearing of wedding rings by brides has been traced back to ancient Egypt, it is only in the latter part of the last century that more than a small minority of bridegrooms began doing the same. During the 16th and 17th centuries, European couples would wear what was called ‘Gimmel’ rings. These rings consisted of two interlocking bands, which would be worn by both a man and woman upon their engagement. However, when they married, the man would place his ring onto his bride’s finger, reuniting the interlocking rings together. It was the jewellery industry that first introduced men’s wedding rings to the mainstream, however, its first introduction in the late 19th and early 20th century failed to take off. This was mainly because of the Great Depression; young couples simply didn’t have the money to buy a wedding ring for both the bride and groom. Then the advent of World War II saw the popularity of men’s wedding bands soar, for the simple reason that rings were sometimes the only bond a soldier had to their bride at home. Wedding rings worn by soldiers were made from metal that occasionally had names engraved into them, and wartime restrictions meant the weight of rings was limited to six grams, and the quality of gold was reduced from 22 carats to nine. Nowadays, men’s wedding bands come in a variety of different shapes, colours and sizes. And whilst most men opt for more subtle designs compared to women, grooms have a much wider choice of material and design and are free to get as creative as they like when selecting the perfect band.

The wedding ring is a symbol of your love for each other, an agreement between you both to love and cherish one another for the rest of your days. Wedding rings are circular in shape, and this in itself carries a symbolic meaning for the couple getting married. A circle has no beginning or end and is therefore a symbol of infinity. Eternal, as love should be.

For many, the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. This is because the vein in this finger was believed to lead directly to the wearer’s heart. However, in some European countries it is actually customary for the wedding ring to be worn on the right hand. The choice is up to you!

Here, we tell you what's traditional when it comes to who pays for wedding rings, as well as what some modern couples are doing. You have options - so choose what's right for you.

Tradition has it that the "bride" (with or without help from her family) buys "the man's" wedding ring. But this rule is obviously binary—it assumes that all weddings involve a woman and her groom. In more inclusive terms, each half of the couple is expected to pay for the other half's wedding band.

Nowadays though, who buys wedding bands is pretty much up to you. Some couples are splitting the cost of their wedding rings, which makes sense if you've already combined your finances prewedding, or if you are paying for all (or part) of your wedding together as a shared expense.

It's all about what works for you, your significant other and your family.

Gold is a classic colour for rings, and has many meanings that draw people to the material. But the metal must not only mean good things to the wearer, it must also be sturdy to use. Gold rings if they are too high in gold (stretching towards 24 carats) can be easy to break or scratch, with 18 carat and 14-carat gold often the preferred options. White gold men’s rings are a great replacement for those who like to wear sterling silver, as thelatter can be a fairly weak metal that cannot withstand everyday wear or tough hands-on labour. Rose gold is growing in popularity for men due to its natural warmth, and a great option if you do heavy labour, or you just want your ring to be guaranteed to last and stay looking beautiful for its lifetime. Titanium is an increasingly popular choice for wedding jewellery, and although it has a lower resistance to scratching, its lighter weight and strength make it comfortable and very easy to wear. However, titanium isn’t always a good choice for tradesmen, as it is hard to cut off in case of emergency.

Once you've figured out who will pay for the wedding bands, it's time to figure out where to find them. At Orsini, we love the process of helping our clients to create their dream wedding bands, both for the bride and the groom. The process of building and shaping an idea, then turning that idea into a true masterpiece, is one that we relish at every step.

If you have an idea in mind for a men’s or women’s wedding band and don’t know where to start, we’d love to meet with you and give you an insight into our process and how it can work for you. The Orsini team consists of unabashedly creative and talented jewellery designers, premium diamond graders, gemmologists and master goldsmiths, all trained to create unique pieces of jewellery through every stage of the process, with great precision and finish. We are proud of our creations and teamwork, and we would love to work together with you to make your dreams a reality. All of our wedding rings are made with a curved inside to provide the best comfort possible, and a true luxury fit for every client.

Feel free to contact us anytime, or visit us in-store at our elegant Parnell atelier, where we invite you to relax. At the same time, we discuss the seemingly endless possibilities for your bespoke design.