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In the United States, there are a few unspoken traditions that commonly take place at weddings. The bride is dressed in a white gown, wearing bridal jewelry made of pearls, diamonds, or crystals, and the groom is dressed in a tux. There are flowers, a wedding party, and wedding music, and the event usually takes place in a church. However, not every culture has weddings that are just like those in the United States. In fact, bridal jewelry in other cultures can be quite varied and has a long and interesting history.
Beginnings of Bridal Jewelry
The beginnings of bridal jewelry are not completely clear, but it is believed that wedding rings originated in Egypt. The first wedding rings were not platinum, gold, or silver even with diamonds and other precious gems. Instead, earlier wedding rings were woven hemp rings. The rings were worn on the same hand as today on the fourth finger. The reason was that the love vein ran from this finger to the heart and the wedding ring stand for fidelity and love. As such, this is how the fourth finger wedding ring came about.
Later, the Romans began using the idea of wedding rings as well. However, these rings were not made of hemp. Rather, the Romans used iron as the basis of their rings. And, while love may have played a part in the Romans wedding rings they were more about ownership and showing that a particular woman was her husband's property. The Romans wore their rings on the same hand and finger as the Egyptians.
Silver found its way into bridal jewelry during the Italian renaissance. During this time frame wedding rings began to take on a style of their own. The silver lent itself to beautiful designs and wedding rings, and bridal jewelry as a whole, began to take on another form.
Ireland is to thank for the idea of gold bridal jewelry and that a wedding ring must be made of a precious metal in order for the marriage to be successful. Today, in many parts of the world, the idea that bridal jewelry should be made of gold or another precious metal and decorated with precious stones is very popular. In fact, the western world's bridal jewelry is being adopted in other parts of the world. However, there are still some places in the world that have their own types of bridal jewelry that are not anything like what the western world has.
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Source by Nicole Lindsey
