When Jolene Riley asked her boyfriend Ben McDowell to bring her back a penny from Afghanistan as a sentimental gift, she got more than she bargained for. Ben turned an authentic Afghan coin into a beautiful ring in a touching gesture that saw the two get engaged immediately. Now Bay Rings, the leading custom ring retailers in the UK, are speaking out to more couples in order to encourage them to create their own personalised, individual rings ahead of the big day.

A spokesman for the company, which specialises in gold, silver, titanium and platinum wedding rings, says, “The heartrending gesture from a serving soldier to his girlfriend was a wonderful example of how custom rings can be more meaningful and powerful than standard shop-window style pieces. At Bay Rings, we can personalise rings by offering engravings and a range of different stones in order to make a ring truly personal and unique to a couple. We’re speaking out to all men wondering how on earth they’re going to find a special ring for their ideal woman – we urge them to get creative and allow the ring to do the talking for them!”

Bay Rings is the online subsidiary of a well-known jewellery provider – their online-only store means that they can pass on incredible cost savings to their customers. Rather than spending thousands on custom rings, customers can reduce their outlay to just a few hundred pounds, for a high-quality personalised ring that will stand the test of time.

Their selection of rings is expansive; from platinum bands to the more intricate Russian and Celtic rings, there is a wide selection to choose from. Each and every ring can be customised with engravings that come in a multitude of different fonts; whether you want something bold and traditional, or a more contemporary, elegant script, Bay Rings delivers. There is also the possibility of adding hearts, double hearts, arrow-pierced hearts and infinity symbols, to add a truly romantic touch to the band.

Taking their cue from the serving soldier, all men are now being urged to pour their heart into the creation of their future wife’s wedding ring. Whether they want to mould their own from a precious coin, or simply personalise it using Bay Rings’ value customisation services.

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The couple, Greg and Sarah Lindsay, had their rings inscribed with a message personal to them, taking inspiration from the classic TV show, Friends. Their wedding bands were engraved with the message, ‘My Love, My Life, My Lobster’, in a reference to Ross and Rachel’s long-lasting love that endured the show’s ten seasons and beyond. But when Greg’s ring went missing on the beach in California, the two assumed that the band had been washed into the Pacific and they would never see the beloved piece of jewellery again.

In an incredible stroke of luck and fate, a woman walking along the beach just a few days later saw what she initially thought was a bottle cap. On approaching the item, she realised it was a wedding ring with a unique inscription, and she set about using social media to find the owners. Thanks to the unique engraving on the inside of the ring, the post went viral and just four days later Greg was reunited with his one-off wedding ring.

The story demonstrates that engraving a ring can have a myriad of benefits besides the sentimental touch. There are many situations where couples may need to remove their wedding ring – whether they’re at the gym, at a place of work or simply just getting in the bath – and having a personal message or unique touch added to the ring can help people to identify the ring  if they’ve removed them.

If a ring is lost, many people nowadays turn to social media in an attempt to be reunited with their most personal and precious jewellery. They often cite the ring’s special features in order to help people to identify it, but if the ring is purely generic with no unusual or individual characteristics, they may have trouble claiming their ring back if it’s found. By engraving special dates, quotes or meaningful lyrics on their rings, they give their jewellery a crucial identifier should it ever go missing, protecting and personalising their wedding band with one simple decision.

Naturally, much of the focus on any wedding day will be on the bride’s wedding finger, but men often opt to wear a wedding band too – in fact, just 3% of grooms opt out of this tradition. Now Bay Rings are reminding couples all over the country that the groom’s wedding band should not be left until the last minute, pointing them in the direction of their custom ring design service to help make their love token more personal and unique.

A spokesman for Bay Rings said, “Men’s wedding bands often get overlooked in favour of the sparkly, diamond-encrusted women’s rings – but they’re just as important. The exchanging of rings is one of the most romantic parts of the wedding ceremony, and a wedding ring is most likely the only jewellery a man will wear in his daily life – so getting it right is tough! Luckily we offer a stunning range of men’s wedding rings in various different materials, and our custom ring design service can help men get the ring looking exactly as they want it before the big day comes.”

Men often prefer plain rings without too much decoration for their wedding band, and the Bay Rings collection delivers in every material. From unembellished titanium rings to streamlined and smooth platinum, men can have their choice of any bands they like, with the guarantee that they are investing in a low-cost ring that will be durable enough to last into the decades. Traditionalists can opt for gold wedding rings, and those that consider themselves more modern, forward-thinking men can even choose enamelled rings with a sleek embossed line or a pattern.

The custom option gives men the choice to personalise their rings further. They can have them engraved with special dates, words or other inscriptions, and they have full power over the ring’s overall appearance, from the finish to the size. If they see another, more expensive ring on the market that catches their eye, but want to have it created in a more budget-friendly fashion, they can send their ideas to the team at Bay Rings, who can source or create beautiful rings that match the demands of any budding groom.

With the prices of these holidays soaring, couples need to make vital cutbacks to their wedding budget in order to be able to enjoy a once-in-a-lifetime experience on their honeymoon. Many newlyweds prefer to start their married life together in total bliss on a luxury sunshine break or an adventure trail, and the demand for this type of holiday is so great among couples that things such as outfit rental and low-cost rings are becoming a main feature of their wedding, in order to free up some much-needed funds. Bay Rings are one of the wedding providers helping couples to realise their travelling dreams and unleash their inner wanderlust.

A spokesman for Bay Rings said, “Many people are choosing to shun the traditional ideal of an extravagant church wedding so that they can instead experience the wonders of the world on an incredible holiday. With our range of custom wedding rings at low prices, we are helping many couples to realise this dream, see the world and start their married life off in memorable fashion with round-the-world trips and luxurious honeymoon destinations they wouldn’t otherwise have been able to afford.”

Bay Rings’ stunning range of budget wedding rings encompasses a range of different materials, with titanium, platinum and white gold amongst the most popular. They also include traditional yellow gold, and unique two-tone wedding rings for those who want something a little different on their big day. The rings start at just £172.70 for a beautiful platinum wedding ring, freeing up much-needed funds to put into the honeymoon savings pot.

All of the rings can be customised to suit the bride or grooms wishes; they can be engraved with script or important dates, they can have delicate detailing and they can even be set with stunning diamonds. A diamond-set platinum ring with three stones begins at just £434.95, demonstrating that great value doesn’t have to come at a high price.

As an online-only store, Bay Rings is in a unique position to offer these endlessly beautiful pieces of jewellery for less, simply because they have no overheads to pay. In the same way that couples forego expensive dresses and extravagant rings so that they can put their funds towards a more memorable holiday, Bay Rings have foregone a retail outlet so that they can pass the savings on directly to its customers.

Why a circle? The circular shape of the ring is thought to be an ancient symbol of everlasting love, an eternal commitment that has no beginning and no end.

Engagement rings

The quintessential engagement ring is unarguably going to feature a diamond. Today the dazzling gem is one of the most sought after stones in the world. So what’s so special about this remarkable mineral? The word diamond is derived from the Ancient Greek word adámas, meaning ‘unbreakable’, making it a well suited symbol of eternal love. It’s also said that Cupid’s arrows were tipped with diamonds. Put two and two together and it’s no wonder that the diamond is the unanimous gemstone of choice for declaring undying love.

The history of the engagement ring dates back to the Middle Ages when marriage ceremonies were sealed with a diamond, the gesture considered reflective of the gemstone’s unbreakable properties. It’s thought to have made its debut appearance in 1475 when Italian lord, Constanzo Sforza presented his beloved Camilla d’Aragona with a diamond ring on their wedding day. The ring is said to have first been used as a symbol of betrothment in 1477, when Archduke Maximilian gave a diamond ring to Mary of Burgundy, his wife-to-be. Today the romantic representation of the diamond engagement ring is more prominent than ever and remains a resounding symbol of love and devotion.

Wedding Rings

Wedding rings date back to ancient Egyptian times when water plants, rushes and reeds were braided together and used to make rings. As the tradition developed the delicate woven rings were replaced with more durable materials such as bone, ivory and leather and eventually metals. As their popularity grew the value of the ring material became intrinsically linked with the level of love and devotion shown to the recipient. It was not until around 860 that traditional gold rings were used in Christian marriage ceremonies.

The tradition of wearing wedding rings on the left hand ring finger is derived from the Roman belief that the finger was home to the ‘vena amoris’ or the ‘vein of love’, thought to be directly connected to the heart. While scientists have rained on the parades of hopeless romantics everywhere and proven the theory false, the romantic tradition has resounded and wedding rings continue to be worn on the fourth finger of the left hand.