Platinum diamond wedding rings are exponentially rising in popularity across the world, most notably in some diamond engagement ring markets India, Japan, the USA and China. But how do platinum diamond engagement and wedding rings contrast to their traditional wedding customs? What does the Chinese jewellery market look like today? 

  • What wedding bands are traditionally Chinese?
  • How have their customs changed?
  • Which types of jewellery are currently popular in China?

 

Discover our engagement rings

 

 

What Engagement and Wedding Rings Are From China?

Wedding bands are a fairly modern concept within Chinese wedding customs. Traditionally, matches were not made by the future spouses, but by their families and hired matchmakers. Marriage was intended to serve societal and social goals by choosing family prosperity over personal happiness. The groom’s family picked a possible match and checked if she was of an auspicious birth date to wed their son. After both families approved, the groom’s family sent a ‘Grand Gift’ to the bride’s family as a betrothal gift. In response, the bride’s family sent a slightly smaller dowry to the groom’s family, after which the engagement was official.

Wedding bands were not exchanged until in quite recent years the country started receiving more exposure from Western cultures. Although most couples are now choosing to exchange wedding bands, many of them do not wear them daily in order to protect them. That need for preservation is also a major reason durable platinum is most popular.

How Have Their Customs Changed?

Although families still exchange these grand gifts, Western culture seeped through into Chinese weddings more and more throughout the 20th century. The result is that traditional Chinese weddings get mixed up with Western customs. Red has been considered anauspicious colour in China for millennia and is therefore ubiquitously represented on the days surrounding the wedding, and at the wedding itself. Chinese couples receive gifts in red envelopes, cover their houses in red cloth with symbolic embroidery among other things. Because of this symbolic meaning, many brides wear several wedding dresses throughout the day.

The official ceremony is often accompanied by a traditional red Chinese dress embroidered with gold, picturing mostly dragons and phoenixes. For the reception, brides often change into elaborate, typically Western white ballgowns. The third and final dress is usually a cocktail dress or evening gown after their own taste.

Which Types Of Jewellery Are Currently Popular In China?

Traditional Chinese jewellery tastes have differed from region to region throughout history, but jade and gold have stood out across the country for millennia. Jade was rarer and thus more precious than gold, which is why jade carving soon evolved into an exquisite art form. The exploding diamond market which allowed platinum diamond wedding bands and all other diamond jewellery to thrive is more of an addition to the traditional Chinese luxury market than it is a replacement. Although platinum wedding bands open the door for a new generation of matching platinum jewellery for special occasions, jade will be forever adored for its history and legacy in Chinese jewellery.

Where can I find the perfect platinum diamond wedding bands for our wedding? How can I combine traditional with modern jewellery? Contact the diamond jewellery experts at BAUNAT for your ideal bridal set.

Frequently asked Questions

The different designs in BAUNAT’s engagement ring selection

At BAUNAT, our engagement ring selection has something for everybody.

 

1. Solitaire ring

 

Solitaire rings are the most popular choice for diamond engagement rings — for good reason. By putting a single diamond at the centre of a ring, it will be the centre of attention.

The most common setting for a solitaire ring is the classic six-prong. This setting has six prongs, also called claws, which hold the diamond firmly in place. By holding the diamond like this instead of setting it into the band, it has more room, meaning increased brilliance.

This traditional setting is not your only option for engagement rings; there are other possibilities for solitaire rings and even completely different ring designs as well, such as a pave setting

 

2. Solitaire with side diamonds

When there are small diamonds set on the ring band of a solitaire ring, it’s called ‘Solitaire with side diamonds’. The small diamonds on the ring band accentuate the brilliance of the central diamond. It enhances the sparkle of the large diamond and makes it look even larger.

 

3. Eternity ring

With an eternity ring, a series of small diamonds cover the entire surface of a piece of jewellery. The diamonds are set closely together so that no metal is seen, and only the diamonds are visible. This is truly breathtaking as all you can see are rows of shining diamonds with no spaces between them.

 

4. Trilogy ring

 

A trilogy ring is a ring set with three diamonds and stands for ‘the past, present and future’.

If you choose three diamonds, the best option is to have one central larger diamond to attract all the attention and let it be assisted by two smaller diamonds. If you prefer some colour, you can also choose a coloured gemstone or coloured diamond as a central diamond.

 

5. Toi et Moi

‘Toi et Moi’ means ‘You and Me’ in French and refers to a ring that has two diamonds. This design represents the intertwining of two souls and is, therefore, a popular choice for engagement rings. The two stones can also represent two hearts eternally joined, which is proof of an ‘unbreakable’ couple.

The closeness of both stones and the fact they’re of the same shape and size suggest balance and equity.

This style can also be set with one coloured gemstone or coloured diamond, in case you or your loved one prefers a hint of colour in your/their jewellery.

 

6. Halo

A halo diamond ring is a ring with smaller diamonds encircling the centre stone. The term ‘halo’ is used because the centre stone looks like it has a halo. The main benefit of the halo design is that it makes the central gemstone or diamond look larger.

While halo ring settings are typically set with diamonds as the centre stone, this isn't always the case. The central diamond can also be changed by a blue sapphire, green emerald, red ruby or other gemstones.

The gemstone can have a round cut, cushion cut, pear cut, or other shapes.

You can explore our full engagement ring selection on our website. If you would like to create a tailor-made design, don’t hesitate to contact our experts (info@baunat.com) for more information.

 

What is the standard quality of BAUNAT jewellery?

Buying online jewellery from BAUNAT means buying jewellery made from the most durable and certified materials. Your gold, platinum and diamond jewellery are always of the best quality and they keep their shine exceptionally long.

 

Which gold does BAUNAT use?

Our gold is always 18 carat, regardless of whether you opt for white, yellow or red gold. This means that the alloy consists of 75% pure gold, mixed with silver or copper. When you decide to buy jewellery online from BAUNAT, you can be sure of the highest possible standard. After all, a higher degree of pure gold would make your jewellery too weak. Of course, we do not use alloys that cause irritation.

However, if you have an allergic reaction to materials such as nickel or cobalt, you can contact our experts for tailor-made advice or purchase jewellery made from hypoallergenic platinum.

Which platinum does BAUNAT use?

Some brands say their jewellery is platinum when it contains only 50% platinum. BAUNAT always uses certified 95% pure platinum, mixed with ruthenium. Our platinum also has a higher melting point, which complicates the production process but increases the durability.

Your platinum jewellery can thus not lose its metallic shine and perfect white colour over time.

What is a content stamp?

A content stamp is a quality mark that protects the consumer against fraud and the jeweller against unfair competition. By including a content stamp in our jewellery, you can be sure of the quantity and quality of the precious metals used in the alloy when buying jewellery online. The content stamps used are:

  • 'au750' for gold: only 18-carat gold (= 75% gold)
  • 'pt950' for platinum: only platinum 950 (= 95% platinum)

What does the BAUNAT master stamp stand for?

When buying jewellery from BAUNAT online, you may notice that the 'BAUNAT master stamp' is also included in some product photos. This legally recognized quality guarantee may be used by BAUNAT only and was granted to us on 10 August 2008 by the Royal Mint of Belgium (depot number for intellectual property 0849130), after a strict selection procedure.

Do you have additional questions about the quality of our jewellery or about buying jewellery online ? Contact our experts via telephone, e-mail or chat.

What ring size should I choose?

Standard measures are offered for earrings, bracelets and necklaces. If these standards do not suit you, please contact our diamond jewellery advisor on info@baunat.com or by phone (please dial +32 3 201 24 90).

For rings, it is important that you choose the right size, but it can be difficult to know what ring size to buy. If you do not know your ring size, here are a few ways of finding it out:

  1. Order a free ring sizer
     
  2. Use our comparative table if you know your ring size in another standard that the one BAUNAT uses.
     
  3. Measure a ring that properly fits the right finger
     
  4. Send us a ring that fits the right finger perfectly
     
  5. Download a paper ring sizer
     
  6. Ask family or friends
     
  7. Visit our showroom
     
  8. Finally some tips in order to determine the right ring size

Related information:

When and how to measure the correct ring size?

 
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