Eternity is a mysterious word. The actual word itself means an infinite amount of time. In fact, it means timelessness--time with no beginning or end. The best way to represent eternity is with a circle. A circle also has no beginning or end.

Few things are fated to last an eternity. One of those things is love. When you gift an eternity ring, you aren’t saying “I love you”, you’re saying “My love is reserved for you--forever”.

An eternity ring has diamonds placed around the circumference of the ring. They are only worn by women and were traditionally gifted by husbands after a decade or more of marriage. The ring is meant to be an addition to the original engagement ring and is a rededication of the couple’s undying love. Today, it’s not uncommon for eternity rings to be gifted after a year or more of marriage.

The actual concept of an eternity ring was created by British diamond company DeBeers in the 1960s. The product line was targeted towards married women and was intended to make use of the stockpile of small diamonds DeBeers had available. One ad campaign directed at husbands read, “She married you for richer or poorer. Let her know how it’s going.”

How to Wear Your Wedding, Engagement, and
Eternity Rings

Your wedding ring should be worn first, then your engagement ring, and finally your eternity ring. Tradition dictates that these rings should be worn on finger adjacent to the pinky finger on a person’s left hand. This is why this finger is known as the “ring” finger.

 




Eternity Ring vs Infinity Ring

Infinity rings are similar to eternity rings because they both represent “forever”. Where they differ is in their design. Infinity rings incorporate the infinity symbol somewhere on them whether along the band or on the spot where a diamond would normally rest on an engagement ring.

Infinity rings are also commonly worn as fashion statements and are not considered strictly for marriage purposes as eternity rings are.

Can I Propose With an Eternity Ring?

Interestingly, it is not unheard of for an eternity ring to be used during a proposal. The rationale is that eternity rings are much easier to choose than engagement rings are so the order is reversed. Ultimately, because the gesture of ring-giving is symbolic, it’s up to the couple to decide whether they would like to break with tradition or have a traditional proposal.

 




Can an Eternity Ring Be Resized?

An eternity ring actually Can be resized but depending on the resizing, diamonds might have to be removed. One such method of resizing eternity rings is by removing a few stones and inserting a blank piece of metal where the stones were. This blank piece can be cut done or added to in the future should the wearer wish for it to be resized again. The purchase of an eternity ring is a huge gesture of undying love and commitment. Although it’s easier to purchase than an diamond engagement ring at the time it takes to purchase this ring is by no means indicative of its meaning. An eternity ring represents a reminder to the person you love that you still love them and that you always will.

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