Celtic or Irish Engagement and Wedding Ring: What are Your Choices?
Celtic engagement and wedding rings often capture the hearts of brides and grooms to be. If you’re looking for a Celtic or Irish rings, there are many options out there. With their stunning designs and rich symbolism, you may want some tips to help guide you in making your selection.
Should you go for Celtic or Irish?
You will find Celtic wedding rings with ancient Celtic designs and illustrations, many of which were taken from the Book of Kells, an eighth-century illuminated manuscript created in an Irish monastery. Celtic bands often display complicated knotwork, warrior shields, and geometric shapes such as circles and triangles.
Peculiar to Irish wedding rings is the Claddagh, a traditional ring dating from the seventeenth century. It features two hands clasping a heart, topped by a crown. It symbolizes love, friendship, and loyalty, and can often be designed as an engagement ring as well. Claddagh engagement rings often incorporate diamonds and other gems at the center of the heart.
Gaelic wedding rings include a special saying written in Gaelic script across the band. Many companies that offer Gaelic wedding bands will provide a choice of inscriptions, or will custom-inscribe a phrase or word of your choosing.
Different Metals for Different Folks.
Typical of all wedding rings you will find varied choice of material, Celtic and Irish rings come in sterling silver, white gold, yellow gold, and platinum.
- Silver is often the least expensive metal, and it tends to set off the sparkle of a diamond engagement ring well. But silver is also soft, and can tarnish over time. When choosing a silver wedding band, look for sterling silver, not silver-plated. The silver in plated rings is often forged over nickel, which can cause allergic reactions in those sensitive to it.
- White gold has a cool white sheen that enhances the sparkle of a white diamond engagement ring. White gold rings are plated with rhodium to produce that white color. The plating can wear away over time, and must be replaced once a year to keep looking new.
- Yellow gold is a more traditional metal to use for wedding bands. Yellow gold is fairly soft and flexible. A yellow gold ring may change shape over time to conform to your finger, but it generally won’t chip or scratch.
- Platinum is a hard, whitish-sliver metal that’s very popular, both for wedding bands and engagement rings. It stands up well to wear and tear. It has a bright color, somewhere between white gold and sterling silver. Platinum is more rare than gold, and can be more expensive.
How do you like your Bling or What Gemstones do you Prefer?
If you wish, you can include gemstones with your Celtic ring. The gemstones in wedding bands are usually smaller and less obtrusive than those in an engagement ring, but they can be just as beautiful. When choosing gemstones for your wedding bands, look for hard stones such as diamond, emerald, sapphire, and ruby. Softer stones such as opal may not stand up well to daily wear and tear.
Do you Care to Mix and Match with His and Hers?
Wedding bands don’t have to match exactly. Many couples have different tastes, and it’s not unusual for his and hers wedding bands not to be exact copies. When choosing wedding bands, look for a pair that complements each other. If she prefers ornate Celtic knots and he’d rather have a plain band, look for a plain men’s ring bordered by the design she chooses. If he prefers platinum and she loves yellow gold, choose similar designs in different metals—or choose a two-toned ring that incorporates both metals.
What Size Matters to you?
Different ring sizes suit different hand sizes. Large hands and long fingers can support thicker rings, while narrow rings look better on short, slender fingers. A diagonal design, such as a series of Celtic eternity knots, draws the eye across the ring and makes it look thicker than it is. In general, thicker rings can feel tighter than thin ones. Men who are not used to wearing rings may find that a ring of medium thickness is more comfortable than a very thick ring.
Your wedding rings will represent your marriage for decades to come—and there’s no better way to show everlasting love than with a pair of Celtic wedding bands. With their striking, ancient designs, long history, and rich traditions, Celtic wedding bands are the ideal way to symbolize your love.
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