Engagement rings for men are on the rise

We all have our own idea of how a man should propose to his (hopefully) bride-to-be.

How big should the ring be? How much should he spend? What happens to the ring if the couple splits up?

In other words, it’s usually all about what kind of ring a woman should be bought by a man. But what if a woman wasn’t the sole recipient of an engagement ring, but a man too?

In fact, engagement rings for men aren’t as rare as one might think, as many progressive couples are deciding to put a twist on tradition in their relationships.

“We’re all about equality,” 27-year-old Josh Cooke, who wears an engagement and wedding ring, told the Independent.

“Well if my wife (fiancée at the time) got to wear one, why shouldn’t I?! If I have to buy her a ring then she can buy me one!”

After all, however beautiful engagement rings are, they’re steeped in a rather unsettling tradition.

“As a feminist I actually quite like the idea of mangagement rings, as otherwise it’s like we are property of men with the ring ‘branding’ us, while they are free to skip around appearing unengaged,” 30-year-old Helen also told the paper.

So as Cooke explained, if some men are more than happy to make a gesture of commitment and equality, what better way to do so than owning a nice piece of jewellery?

The rings themselves tend to differ from women’s in the way that they have thicker bands with smaller – sometimes several – diamonds, though the style is up to you.

So if a design takes you or your partner’s fancy, no matter what your gender, you could both have a chance to show them off on Instagram when the time comes.

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