Buying a “manly” wedding band

No so many years ago wearing jewelry was considered “unmanly”.  Men did not even wear wrist watches; they consulted their trusty pocket watch. WWII changed all that. Men were issued wrist watches, and many soldiers started to wear wedding bands to remind them of their family back home. Most certainly no one was going to accuse a man in uniform with a gun as being unmanly.

Today the practice of wearing both a time piece on the wrist and rings on their fingers has continued. Chain link bracelets and necklaces have been added to the list of acceptable jewelry for men.

But men’s jewelry is very different from women’s. As a general rule, a man chooses his jewelry according to practicality and his life style. While a woman would choose her engagement and wedding ring for their beauty, a man is interested in how his watch and wedding ring will stand up in terms of his job and hobbies. If he is a jeans and boots kind of guy, bling-bling will look totally out of place. However, a man who is CEO of a large company and spends more time in the boardroom than working in the engine of his car might want to express his standing with a tasteful array of diamonds on his wedding band.

A male characteristic is linear thought. He is logical, and thinks in a straight line. He considers strength a valuable asset, having sprung from a line of hunter/gatherers that dates back to prehistoric times. He is practical. When family, friends or co-workers approach him with a problem his initial reaction will be “what can I DO?” That’s the premise of the Venus and Mars theory. A man might secretly see himself as a high steel worker, a cowboy, or any job that seems to be the epitome of manly. He envisions himself as a “man’s man”.

Many jewelry manufacturers and jewelry designers have woken up to the unique tastes that men exhibit in clothes and accessories. The traditional plain yellow gold man’s wedding ring is still a viable choice, but there is also a huge assortment of high-end designer rings that are comfortable to wear, durable, and as attractive as any work of art.

A man’s wedding ring need not be only a symbolic expression of his marital status; his wedding ring can represent his tastes and personality as well as his commitment to a relationship. Today’s designers of men’s wedding rings can explore new materials and textures, interesting structural forms, and inclusion of high quality gemstones if so desired.  A man’s wedding ring should match the man.