A lot has changed since engagement rings were first popularized during ancient Rome. For one, the act of proposing marriage is no longer strictly a man’s job. Many women are now opting to take matters into their own hands, because let’s be honest – who has the time to wait around for a man to get the courage to pop the big question? All jokes aside, traditions tend to change with the times and these days, it’s all about treating men and women as equals. This means that certain traditions are no longer based on gender roles and so it has become as familiar for a woman to propose to a man. Naturally, jewelry shops and designers have adapted to this trend and are now offering engagement rings for men – something that wasn’t easy to come by as little as five years ago.
Engagement rings for men has not always been seen as particularly traditional, but there has been a rising trend over the last few years. Before this change in our social climate, many a hopeful romantic was forced to settle for a standard wedding band or regular ring to propose to their partner with. While every jeweler the world can offer a varied assortment of different engagement ring styles for women, there was only a small selection of “management” rings to choose from at first. Luckily, jewelers have become more creative in their designs, meaning nowadays, one can spend just as many hours carefully selecting the right ring for a man as they would when choosing an engagement ring for a woman.
When same-sex marriage was finally legalized in the UK in 2014, it became even more important to cater to men looking to pop the big question to their partners. Some jewelry shops such as Equalli, have dedicated their entire business to the LGBTQ community and are particularly famous for their rainbow sapphire jewelry range. Even regular jewelers are now offering a large selection of engagement rings for men and are finally contributing to a sense of inclusivity that had been lacking in the wedding industry for so long.
Though the management ring trend only gained traction recently in the US and the UK, it has been traditional in some countries all along. In Brazil, both men and women wear engagement rings before their big wedding day. During the wedding ceremony, the new wedding bands are placed atop the engagement rings. In Sweden, the same is true; both partners wear an engagement ring, the only difference is that the man continues to wear his engagement ring as a married man, whereas the bride is given a new ring during the ceremony, usually one with a diamond or gemstone.
Traditions dictate the customs surrounding engagements and weddings, but as a society, we have now reached a point in which we can recognize outdated ideals. Although it is true that men, for the most part, are still considered to place less importance in the symbolic ways we show our commitment to one another; it is just another gender stereotype that has been engrained in us.
Many a modern man – and yes, even the traditional “manly man” – is every bit as romantic as his female counterpart, so it only seems fair that men are granted the same access to a varied selection of engagement rings. And of course, the same is true for same-sex couples – now that LGBTQ marriages have finally been legalized in many countries around the world, this progress is finally reflected in the jewelry industry as well.
