Ring tradition is timeless

Published: 12:00am, 29 Mar 2012

Nothing symbolises marriage more than a wedding ring.

While the tradition for brides dates to ancient Rome, grooms only began wearing a wedding band at the beginning of the 20th century.

With countless styles and trends on the market today, jewellery professionals Victoria Lai and Loletta Lai provide some insights on what to put on your finger.

'In the old days everyone wore gold, then after a while people started to like wearing white gold,' says Victoria Lai, marketing director at King Fook (www.kingfook.com). 'In the last few years, couples are wearing both colours.'

As diamonds are a girl's best friend, wedding bands for brides usually feature the 'unbreakable' jewel in a decorated style compared with a simple look for grooms, according to Victoria Lai.

For grooms with a limited budget, King Fook has launched the Balleto ring, which allows the central Solasfera diamond to be switched from a 0.5ct stone to a 1.5ct one.

The ring comes in a unique box that features a video-playing function that can store words you want to say as a video file.

In addition to an engagement ring and wedding band, Lai points out brides often add diamond or pearl earrings for the big day, along with a choker necklace paired with the evening gown.

Loletta Lai, public relations director at Forevermark (www.forevermark.com), agrees pure gold rings used to be the standard wedding choice, but says that two decades ago couples shifted towards platinum as the more modern pick. At that time, designs were mainly diamond-free and included relatively basic line patterns. Then, in the past 10 years, wedding bands studded with one or a few small diamonds, set in platinum or white gold, have become more popular.

Another popular choice among couples, Loletta Lai says, is the Forevermark Setting Couple Rings. The simple wedding bands, in both gold and platinum, feature a curved shaped ring for the bride, while the groom has a broader, angular shape, symbolising masculinity. Each ring encompasses a 0.18ct diamond or above.

As 'popping the question' with an engagement ring is usually a surprise event for the bride, more than 60 per cent of women would like to be involved in selecting the ring, according to a Forevermark Bridal survey. Loletta Lai says: 'This way a bride and her husband can be sure they are given something that will be treasured forever.'

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