“With this ring, I thee wed.”

In our culture, a ring signifies your commitment to your spouse . Whether it’s an engagement, wedding, or eternity band – a ring represents your loyalty and love. But are there “rules” for wedding rings? Is there an unwritten code somewhere that dictates which type of ring you should wear, when you should wear it, and on which hand? It seems like the “traditional” concept that is commonly noted in the bridal books is to wear a solitaire engagement ring, followed by a small matching wedding band, and then an eternity band to mark a special anniversary later in marriage. The engagement and wedding rings go on the left hand, while an anniversary ring goes on the right hand.

But what if you don’t follow this sequence of ring events or wear the one you’re supposed to on a specific hand? Is there an etiquette to this? Does it really matter which hand you wear your rings on and at what time you wear them?

As a left handed person who crafts on a regular basis, I’ve found that rings can sometimes be…well, aggravating. But I found from talking to some people who have been there and done that, that you don’t really need to follow any rules for rings, and in fact, it’s actually more trendy to do your own thing. You can wear your solitaire e-ring on the right hand and an eternity band instead of a wedding ring before your married. Or maybe instead of a diamond e-ring you go for your favorite gemstone like an emerald or a sapphire. My boss told me that his wife has a collection of unique rings and she’ll switch it up and wear different ones to match different outfits, and I admire her free-spirited nature.

I’m kind of a Tiffany & Co addict, and I decided to share with you some of my favorite picks for each ring category. Yes, I know these are not cheap…and definitely don’t fall into one my “Emily’s Thrifty Finds,” but I can suggest that if you have your heart set on something unique and sparkly but don’t have a huge budget for it, you could try doing just 1 ring – an e-ring and wedding ring all in one. Pick an anniversary band or eternity band that is a little more blingin’ than your average wedding band or choose a gemstone or unique shape. That way, instead of buying 2 rings, you only have to spend money on 1 and you get something original that not every other bride has!

1. Engagement Ring 

Price varies depending on 4C’s, but on average 1 Carat is around $10,000

2. Wedding Band 

Channel set Tiffany band – $4,600

3. Eternity Band

Tiffany Aria Band – $13,000

4. Anniversary Rings

Legacy Sapphire – $10,700

Two-Tone w/ Diamonds

Shlumberger Four Leaves Band – $10,500

Unique Oval Shape

Elsa Peretti Sevillana – $8,200

Have a unique ring idea that you want to share? Send in a pic and I’ll post your most creative wedding rings in my next post! 🙂