How to Wear Engagement, Wedding & Eternity Rings: Order, Tradition & Style
The ultimate guide to how to wear your rings
How to wear engagement, wedding and eternity rings?
When you get engaged, there's a lot to think about - and when you suddenly have more than one ring, you might realise that you never knew in what order the rings go. Is there a right, and a wrong way to do it?
There is no short answer to this question - but rather, there's a range of traditions, customs and opinions on what way is the right way to do it - but don't worry, we're here to help to you navigate in the jungle.
Whether you follow tradition or want create your own style, understanding how to stack your rings can make a meaningful difference in how you wear your jewellery every day. From traditional wedding ring order to modern stacking trends and comfort-focused styling tips, in this guide we'll cover that and much more:
- In what order should you wear your wedding and engagement ring?
- What are eternity ring, and how should you wear them?
- Wedding and engagement ring sets
- How to choose a wedding ring that goes with your engagement ring
Traditional Engagement, Wedding & Eternity Ring Order
In the western part of the world, you would tradtionally wear both your engagement and wedding ring on the ring finger of your left hand. The wedding ring should, according to these customs, be placed at the bottom closest to the vena amoris - the "vein of love" thought to run connect your left hand with your heart according to traditions tracing back to the 18th century.
Some do argue, however, that the correct way is to move the engagement ring to the right hand after the wedding, where it sits together with the wedding ring.
Modern Ring Stacking Ideas and Trends
Like in everything else, there are trends in how to wear your rings. Preferences on how to wear you wedding rings change with time and go in cycles - and in recent years, people tend to prioritise comfort or style over tradition.
Depending on the style of the ring, you might think it looks better to stack them in a different order - and this is, of course, entirely up to you.
After all, you're going to wear your rings every day for so many years, that the most important thing is your comfort. You might also find it fun to vary the ways in which you wear your rings - the important thing is that you feel good wearing them!
What are eternity rings and how should you wear them?
An eternity ring has a row of diamonds around the band. Also known as infinity rings and diamond-line rings, this design represents the eternal nature of the love bond shared between lovers.
This type of ring is usually given as a gift to mark important milestones in a relationship aside from an engagement or marriage: child birth, anniversaries, birthdays or even Valentine's Day - any milestones deserve a little extra sparkle, and an eternity ring is the perfect way to do it.
Sometimes eternity rings can be the engagement ring you are looking for. Not only are they exceptionally meaningful, but they sparkle with not one but several diamonds to capture her heart for the rest of her life!
How to wear wedding, engagement and special eternity rings together?
How to wear wedding, engagement and special eternity rings together?
Ultimately, how you wear your rings is, of course, entirely your choice. There's traditions, and trends, but no right or wrong. Here's our best ideas:
Ordered by event
Let the rings be markers of occasions and wear them in the order that they happened, all stacked together on top of each other.
Ordered by meaning
You could also wear an eternity ring in between wedding and engagement rings. In this meaningful arrangement, the symbol of ever-lasting love is centred and protected by the promise and commitment you made together.
Order your ring stack by comfort or fit
If you value comfort, you should consider the design of each ring; some engagement rings feature gemstones in low settings, so a wedding ring or eternity ring can’t be stacked with it unless they have a curved band. This could also be the case if you have wedding bands of a different shape.
Within the EU, the average is €2,300, with marked differences from country to country, going up to an average of as much as €5,000.
€1,000A very simple yet well-finished engagement ring, with a diamond of around 0.25 carats, in good quality, made from 18 karat gold.
€2,500 – €5,000offers greater variety, with diamonds of premium quality (G/H colour, SI 1 / VS2 clarity, very good cut), with a carat weight of 0.5ct.–1.0 ct., in 18 karat gold in a range of designs and side stones or a halo setting.
€5,000 to €10,000price range, the possibilities are practically limitless. Carat weight of 1.0–1.5, potentially with multiple larger diamonds, precious stones in multiple colours, bespoke and tailored to your personal preferences.
We believe that no one should go into debt to finance their engagement ring!
Particularly when so many beautiful and budget-friendly options are available. On the other end of the spectrum, many couples can afford to spend far more. So it makes no sense to be limited to a national average.
Top Tips for Ring Stacking: Plan Ahead
When it comes to stacking the rings, the most important thing is that they fit together to be stacked comfortably on top of each other. Here are some tips to make sure you get it right:
- A lot of jewellery designers will be happy to craft you a custom ring, so it perfectly fits under or on top of the engagement ring.
- Another alternative is to buy a wedding ring and an engagement ring as a set, which is something that most ring designers and jewellers offer.
- Most eternity rings go fairly easy with most styles, so they're a perfect alternative for varying the stack!
Most important is to find the right ring size - and if you need a bit of guidance of how to do so, see our ring size guide.
