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Do men wear engagement rings?

Do men wear engagement rings too? That is not a question of the cliche women only get the engagement ring and none for men. We’re living in a dynamic world, and now even forms of love expression have evolved! Nowadays, you can see guys with girlfriends wearing fancy and shiny engagement rings with sometimes many diamonds in them. Other guys prefer a simple design engagement ring, or sometimes the Celtic design, or sometimes simple gold or silver engagement ring band design that suits their fashion or style.

Men also wear engagement rings. It is becoming an increasingly new trend in the jewelry industry for men to have engagement rings with fancy designs. It also shows that if both couples wear an engagement ring, they honor their promise to each other.

Do men wear engagement rings?

Let’s learn a little history of engagement rings to assess if guys wear engagement rings also. Engagement rings may be traced back over 5000 years to the ancient Egyptians! It was the first civilization in which individuals exchanged “love rings.” However, these rings were not as fabulous as today with lots of diamonds but rather made of reeds and leather. The ring bands symbolized endless love for a lifetime.

It is amazing to learn that the same idea underpins our modern eternity engagement rings. Even though the Egyptians were the first to come up with the concept of an engagement ring, we cannot just give them all the credit. Rings were first associated with marriage by the ancient Romans. It is a Roman custom in which ladies wore rings linked to tiny keys to signify their husband’s possession. It was a sign that a lady had been abducted when a guy handed her an engagement ring. Knowing this history, it is a little bit archaic for men not to wear engagement rings as it will be likened to the Roman custom of ownership to women. Men don’t wear engagement rings long ago, but today, it is the new trend between engagements!

We are past men’s time above women because today, women now stand on equal footing as men. One thing we need to remember is that we don’t own our partners or special someone. We respect them as individuals – of whom we gave an engagement ring as a promise to love and cherish. This history of Romans was forgotten when the Archduke Maximillian of Austria ordered a diamond engagement ring to propose to Mary of Burgundy. The first romantic proposal in the history of engagements.

Wedding and engagement rings have been popular in many cultures and faiths throughout history. Engagement rings have also changed in significance. No one knows when the first diamond ring appeared. It evolved into an engagement sign: an expression of intent to wed.

Men wearing an engagement ring also shows that he honors their relationship and is proud to show it to others. The engagement ring is not just a decoration or accessory. It holds profound meaning for two loving souls.

Does a Man Get an Engagement Ring?

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Let’s enumerate some reasons why does a man get an engagement ring also. This may vary according to culture and tradition. In some places, men also wear engagement rings! Below are some of the following reasons:

The lady prepares an engagement ring also

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Usually, when a man proposes to a woman, only the woman gets an engagement ring as a sign of acceptance. But in special cases when the lady has also prepared a ring for the man she loves, she also wanted the man to accept her feelings and promise the things that her man promised her. It is really romantic if the woman gives an engagement ring to the man she loves.

There are some instances when the man surprises the woman with an unexpected proposal and presents the ring. The woman also surprises the man in return by going down on one knee and proposing to the man she loves. Most people think that it’s very romantic for women to propose to men. It has popularized the saying, “If you wish to be treated like a Queen, then treat him like a King” – which is true since love is not a one-way street. We must love our special someone to the same degree that they love us also.

The Man’s choice

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Among the most romantic moment is when men choose to wear an engagement ring for the one he loves. When people ask, do men wear engagement rings? They would be surprised to know that he chose to wear an engagement ring to show to the world that he is in love with someone special, especially if they are wearing a couple-designed engagement ring. People see it as faithfulness or loyalty to the partner. Some say that the man is proud of the current relationship and will not be ashamed to signal it into the world.

Now, that’s a scarce man! Usually, men who hide their wedding ring or who do not wear their wedding often are allegedly prone to being a womanizer. But if a man wears an engagement ring even before the wedding ring, now that’s what we call observable loyalty. Of course, that makes a general statement, just an observable gesture of loyalty and faithfulness to his partner. The same is true for women too! Not wearing an engagement ring does not mean that you have a bad relationship, but you know symbolisms and representation provide a stronger foundation for every relationship. It gives the relationship extra meaning and solidifies your relationship to last a lifetime.

Here are the other reasons:

  • Signifying love and dedication
  • A tangible reminder of a precious moment in time
  • Symbol of promise
  • Indicate your current relationship
  • Shout to the world how much he loves you
  • Show that relationship is about equal treatment to one another.

Who are these men who wears engagement rings?

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Now, some notable individuals wore an engagement ring publicly. For example, the famous Ed Sheeran left everyone curious during his event in 2018 when he wears an engagement ring on his ring finger – which was seen visibly by everyone and every camera in the area. He had a straight and simple explanation;

“I see marriage as a partnership in which both couples have equal duties and obligations” – Ed Sheeran.

Both Ed Sheeran and his partner wears engagement ring perfectly shows what he meant.

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Another example was also another famous singer Michael Bubler when he proposed to his girlfriend. It’s very easy to spot their engagement ring on their finger since they always hold a microphone when singing.

“In my native country – Argentina – most men wear engagement rings.”

The male engagement ring – once a jewelry industry pipe dream – is become a reality, and due to the tradition-spinning millennials and certain trendsetting celebrities, it is now becoming a reality. Global fashion search platform Lyst found that searches for male engagement rings have increased by 66% since last year.

It is truly based on culture and tradition also as to why men wear engagement rings. When it comes to wearing an engagement band, some guys do so partly because it is the latest fashion. Some are still respecting the long-standing customs of their own native cultures, passed down for generations. Men’s engagement rings have been a custom in several Latin American nations, such as Argentina and Chile, for many years. Those men typically wear men’s engagement rings to display their own history, and some men marrying brides from those cultures acquire engagement rings to respect their fiances family traditions as well. Some are just family heirlooms where men are given a ring from their father that came from his father’s father and his father and so on.

In part, research shows attributes on the surge to male same-sex couples wearing engagement rings and added that renowned heterosexual males – such as Ed Sheeran and Michael Baubles – all wear egalitarian accessories.

Do both partners get an engagement ring?

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Men wearing an engagement ring is still a new trend today, so only a few couples in some countries practice this trend. Most couples still stick to the traditional way where only the lady gets an engagement, and the gentleman proposes. Maybe in a year, it will be normalized for men to wear engagement rings since this is an increasing trend today.

Sometimes, women would require their partner to wear engagement rings for the sake of fashion to emphasize they are together since they have a “matching” design of couple engagement rings. This is also a trend in other products like matching T-shirts or mugs. Only do guys wear engagement rings when their partner requires it. Other women argue that they require their partner because they know them for being a womanizer or unloyalty. Hence, they want them to wear engagement rings so that other people would know that they are taken or engaged already.

Some traditions require both couples to have an engagement ring like I mentioned above, like the royal engagements. This is to ensure that they have sealed the unification of their great houses. Both couples wearing an engagement ring in this kind of set feels like the engagement ring signifies a sealing wax instead of symbolizing love. It is all about arrangement and contracts, materialistic means, gains, and no love. But we all know that love is selfless, kind, and priceless.

But what hand do men wear engagement rings?

Do guys wear engagement rings? They do, but on what hand do they commonly wear the engagement ring? A prominent designer says wedding or engagement bands have traditionally been worn on all fingers, including the thumb. In today’s society, wedding bands are typically worn on the fourth finger of the left hand. Some factors affect where guys wear their engagement rings. For example, they play volleyball, and they commonly use their right hand to serve the ball, so to avoid losing the engagement ring due to the heavy impact of serving the ball, they would wear it on the left hand. The same is true for their jobs. It also depends on the situation, because in some rare cases, there are guys with traumatic amputation wherein, for example, they had an accident, and they lost their right hand, automatically the engagement ring would be worn on the left hand.

Have you noticed that Ed Sheeran and Michael Bauble are wearing their engagement rings in opposite hands? Ed Sheeran on the right and Michael on the left? It’s also about preference. Since singers always hold a microphone when they sing, their engagement rings are always in the spotlight that shines beautifully. Maybe Ed Sheeran is right-handed, and he often holds the microphone in his right hand, so to flex his ring in the audience, he would wear it in his right hand. The same is true for Michael Buble.

Going back to the question, do men wear engagement rings? Some think that it does not matter where you wear it as long as you actually wear it. But some people, especially men, wear their engagement ring on the finger of their fingers of either hand. They sometimes like to wear it on their thumb if they think it looks cooler, or they make it a necklace by placing chain jewelry through the engagement ring.

Engagement Ring Finger

But some people think that the ring finger holds a special meaning. First, they do it like this: open your hands and place all of your fingers together facing each other like you are praying. Then each pair of fingers, let’s say the thumb – symbolizes your grandparents. The pair of your index finger symbolizes your parents, the middle symbolizes your siblings, the ring finger symbolizes your special someone, the little finger symbolizes you,r friends. Now, try moving first your thumb fingers apart and close them by touching each other again. Next, do the same to your index finger, next to your middle, next to your ring finger, and lastly to your little finger. This means that all of those fingers that you can perfectly detach won’t stay in your life forever. The finger you have difficulty detaching is the ring finger. That is because only your special someone will stay with you for a lifetime. That’s why the wedding or the engagement ring is placed on either hand’s fourth finger or the ring finger.

But why does some guys don’t have engagement rings?

Most importantly, tradition dictates that engagement rings given by a man are a symbol of his proposal to the woman. If the woman wears the engagement ring, it does not mean that she has accepted the man’s proposal. So technically, the man as the proponent doesn’t have an engagement ring. But in this dynamic society, gender equality is a highly debated topic to be part of the social norms. It asks the question, why should men be the only ones to propose? If the woman accepted the proposal, shouldn’t she return the feelings by giving an engagement ring to the man too? Why should the man treats the woman like a queen if she does not treat the man like a King? The man is no slave and is in no way should be above women. Gender equality should also reflect in every relationship. Love is not a one-way street because if it were, it would not last for a lifetime.

And some guys from this current generation thought that wearing an engagement ring is so old-fashioned, very traditional, very cheesy, and argue that you don’t need anything to symbolize your love for the person. You need to show it and keep it private. Some thought it’s not a trend anymore to wear engagement rings because you will just be wearing one when you wed. Some say that the engagement ring will symbolize the value of your love, so it must be expensive, and if you don’t have money, it is better not to wear one than buy cheap engagement rings.

There are many opinions of why do some guys don’t wear engagement rings. But there are more answers to why men wear engagement rings than to why they don’t. In the greater scheme of things, it all boils down to preference and choice. It’s okay not to wear engagement rings, all that matters after all is the love you have for each other. But it is also good to wear engagement rings since they add extra meaning, story, and color to your love story.

I hope you find this helpful in quenching your curiosity as to why do men wear engagement rings.

Do men wear engagement rings?
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