subject: The Traditional Gold Wedding Rings - What's Their Story? [print this page] Wedding rings: such a common sight! Either on somebody's finger or in a jewelry store window, we are familiar with what they signify. We all know that a man and a woman would exchange gold rings on their wedding day as to symbolize their endless love, unity and partnership. But do we know about the history of this gesture? What are its beginnings? And why are wedding rings made of the most sought after precious metal in the world?
The first wedding rings in the history were not made of gold or any other metal. Under the burning sun of the North-African deserts, the cradle of the ancient Egyptian civilization, that's where their history begins. For this people, the Nile was an important presence and thus it was worshiped like a powerful god. They believed that their wealth, fortune and even life itself were given to them by the river's waters. And here, from the sedges, rushes and reeds growing along the river banks, young brides plaited rings for their fingers and bracelets for their wrists.
Then the art of metallurgy began to rise and things changed. The metal of choice for early Roman rings was iron, because it was a symbol of how strong was the love a man had for the woman he had chosen. The act of giving and accepting a ring had now the value of a contract and thus it was legally binding. When a woman accepted the ring, she was tied by a man as his property. Her rights as bride-to-be were also protected. Occasionally, the bridegroom would give as gifts gold or silver rings as well so as to let the community that he trusted his future wife with his valuable property.
But the wedding rings were still not made of gold and just gold. The time would come soon, in medieval Europe. This time, gold was here to stay. The roots of this tradition are so deep and it bears such great symbolism that even in modern time people would still prefer exchanging and then wearing for the rest of their lives a gold wedding ring. More than that, in some parts of the world, like in Irish folklore, for instance, it was considered bad luck to marry wearing a ring made of any other material but gold. Throughout Europe, a gold ring was provided for those who couldn't afford on their wedding day, but it was immediately given back when the ceremony was over.
Perhaps that the history of gold wedding rings and that of our society's evolution are closely tied. What other explanation for our choice of expressing our love, the most valuable feeling, by means of the most valuable precious metal in the world? When we buy our gold wedding rings, we invest in both our money and our feelings. After all, we can afford to make a rush decision: for our special day and the rest of our lives, we desperately want to do things right. This is a moment when all advice is welcome: from family and friends to specialists in the field, it's on them we rely to help us return home with the perfect gold wedding ring.
by: Jack Wogan.
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