Men's diamond rings actually haven't been around all that long. Up until about 120 years ago, there weren't even men's wedding bands. It was very unusual for even a woman to wear a diamond wedding band. Major diamond merchants such as DeBeers in their attempts to create new markets managed to sell the idea of matched women's and mens wedding rings, but the 'diamond' part ?" mainly for economic reasons ?" didn't catch on until much later. Until around 1950 or so, when government economic policies allowed the growth of an American middle class, womens and mens were basically simple, unadorned gold or silver rings. It has only been in the last half-century or so that men's diamond rings have become popular.

Jewelry For The Male

Men have been wearing jewelry at least as long as women, of course, but usually for different reasons. Whereas women's jewelry is meant to adorn and enhance the wearer's beauty, men's jewelry has traditionally been worn as a status symbol, badge of rank, or even in recognition of achievement.

When it comes to men's wedding bands, there are several options available, but few consist of the plain gold band of yesteryear. Popular motifs include Celtic knot work patterns, Greek key designs, Arabic geometric patters and even abstract designs. Often, these can be engraved.

What is the difference between men's diamond rings and a diamond wedding band? Not much; men's wedding rings can fall into either category. Generally, a diamond wedding band does not have a large gem, prominently mounted, but does have small diamonds embedded in the surface.

Beyond Gold

All three varieties of gold (yellow, white and rose) are beautiful, but soft and not particularly durable. The surface can be easily scratched, and gold will tarnish over time. As a result, some prominent jewelers have been offers in new, harder and more exotic metals such as tungsten, platinum and palladium. These metals are extremely hard and resistant to tarnish, making them excellent heirlooms.

Today, one can find a mind-boggling variety of , either as solitaires or as part of a wedding set. The gems set into rings for men are generally square-cut rather than round cut, but again, the choice is up to the buyer. Some jewelers sell wedding sets as 'semi mounts,' meaning that no gem is inserted into the mounting until the customer chooses one. They represent just a small fraction of what is available on the market today in men's diamond rings.