Was just curious after a discussion with some friends about rings (brought on by my having recently ordered wedding bands with my fiance).

If you have more to add than the poll allows for, post it here! [img]smile.gif[/img]

So the question is do you wear a wedding or other ring(s)? And if you don't mind, what do they look like? (LOL, ok, I'm curious since I just went shopping for them, myself)

edit: Just realized I didn't leave us engaged but not wed yet ladies an ansswer option. Mine would have to be: Wear my engagement ring all the time except when doing something like gardening or when it gets tight at night in the summer. My spouse to be and I are planning to wear our bands all the time as well. I only occasionally wear other rings.

[ 03-25-2004, 02:10 PM: Message edited by: Cloudbringer ]

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">I wear a little silver ring on the pinky of my working hand. From this you can tell what university degree I have and if I am left or right handed.</font>

[ 03-25-2004, 02:32 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

Does the ring have a mark or something that indicates your degree?

On my left pinky is a silver wire-knotwork-esque pentagram with a garnet set in the center. That's special to me because it was my first pentagram, I got it five years ago. On my left middle finger is a silver ring containing a turquoise, which was the first ring I ever made. On my ring middle finger is a silver pentagram with a moonstone in the center, which is the first enchanted piece I made.

<font face="Verdana" size="3" color="#00FF00">No mark and it isn't really silver but iron the material used is worth no more tham $10. There is a common wave like pattern around the ring but nothing that shows the degree. I think they are only given out in Canada at the "Iron Ring Ceremony".

http://www.ironring.ca/
http://www.d.umn.edu/cse/ooerc/iron.html (Americans have a ring ceromony too in at least 30 states)</font>

[ 03-25-2004, 04:07 PM: Message edited by: pritchke ]

I chose the first option, but I need to amend it.

About 15 year ago (married almost 21 years [img]smile.gif[/img] ) when I was a carpenter, I almost injured my ring finger because as I quickly made my way down a 25 foot aluminum ladder, I caught my wedding ring on a rung. I nearly tore my finger pretty badly, we were always being pushed to work faster and I was going down the ladder pretty fast when the ring caught the edge of a rung. I immediately removed it and never wore it again.

Flash forward about 8 year when I stopped being a carpenter, the ring does not fit. I'm embarrassed to say I have gained around 45 pounds since my wedding day - the ring does not fit! Last year I had it sized and I now wear it always.

BTW for the last week and a half I've been watching what I eat and biking (exersize bike) 8 miles a day. I hope to be down to 160 pounds soon. I have lost about 8 lbs., so far. Wish me luck! :D

Mark

What Pritchke is talking about is the Engineer's Iron Ring. The iron ring ceremony is a highly "secret" ceremony in that not everyone is allowed to attend only people who have the ring or people who are about to get the ring are invited. So most people don't know that it happens, when it happens or where it happens.

The ring is a many sided ring made of iron (of course). It is to be worn around the pinkie finger and serves as a reminder of the Oath that engineers make when they receive the ring. You can also tell whether the bearer is experienced or inexperienced from the ring. Over the years as it is worn, the edges of the sides wear down and so in the end you do get a smooth band.

I'm not an engineer so I don't know all the ins and outs but if you see the ring you know what "industry" the bearer is in....

Now to the point....Cloudy there are so many engagement rings out there....some very similar and some completely different. I've always liked simple elegant designs so (when I buy one) it will probably be just a single stud (1/4 to a 1/2 carat). But I don't think the girlfriend will continue to wear the engagement after she gets the band. The band will be worn all the time and the engagement ring will be kept away some where.

Right now I wear a sterling silver ring on my thumb. Its an interlaced design between polished silver and brushed silver. Don't where it all the time because sometimes a thumb ring when meeting clients doesn't make a good first impression.

Kz

I wear one silver ring with a Victorian floral design on it which cost about £5 from a market stall!

I don't like expensive jewellery, I think that something cheap, but unusual and beautiful is worth so much more (and I'd be too scared of losing it!).

My ex-fiance gave me a plain gold ring with a small diamond in it...and it looked so much like every other engagement ring I'd ever seen that I cried. *blushes* He thought I was crying with happiness, and when I told him I was crying because I hated the ring, he wasn't very impressed...
Needless to say we didnt quite make it "down the aisle".

No pressure, Cloudbringer! ;)

[ 03-25-2004, 07:44 PM: Message edited by: Eohre ]

I used to wear my wedding rings when I wanted to be married. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

Skywalker, I hear you about occupations that can be hazardous with rings on. My dad was in the Air force and did repair work on planes. He nearly lost a finger when his ring got caught one day. He stopped wearing it til he retired, but then it was a new one as he married my stepmom a few months later. [img]smile.gif[/img] Good luck with the excercise/diet regime!

Thanks for the info, Kzonon! That's really interesting. I'd never heard of the special ring for engineers before. Is that a Canadian custom or is it more widespread?


LOL! No pressure, Eohre! My fiance and I are sure we want to go down the aisle. Been together about 2.5 yrs already. [img]smile.gif[/img]

My engagement ring is a marquise solitaire diamond in a platinum setting with a white gold band (the jeweler said the platinum bands show scratches pretty badly so rather than get it polished frequently, we went with white gold) and I plan to wear both the engagement ring and the wedding band after the wedding.