Rings
What's old is new in engagement rings right now. Cushion- and Asscher-cut diamonds - all the rage in the 1920s - are currently gracing the hands of today's bride. The squarish, diamonds were created to reflect candlelight and draw the eye into the stone. Stunning alternatives to brilliant-cut gems, both cuts complement the pavé-set bands that are the hottest trend in settings. Featuring tapered holes that hold round gemstones to create a "paved" look, a pavé setting can also be designed to show off diamonds from three sides. Color decorates the season with two-toned bands dominating Novell Design Studio's bridal-jewelry line, and pink and yellow diamonds on display everywhere from your neighborhood jeweler to Harry Winston.

Ring Facts
In 3rd century Greece, the ring finger was the index finger. In India, it was the thumb. Today's western tradition began later with the Greeks, who believed that the third finger was connected directly to the heart by a route they called the "vein of love."

In early Rome, a prized gold band came to symbolize everlasting love and commitment in marriage. Roman wedding rings were carved with two clasped hands. Some had a carved key through which a woman was thought to be able to open her husband's heart.

In 860 AD, Pope Nicolas I decreed that an engagement ring becomes a required statement of nuptial intent. He insisted that engagement rings had to be made of gold, which signified a financial sacrifice, by the prospective husband. An engagement ring containing your birthstone is said to bring good luck.

Although commonplace today, it was not until the 16th century that men consistently began to wear wedding rings. In America, the double ring ceremony gained importance after World War II, symbolizing love and partnership in marriage.

Here are some wedding jewelry histories.

The Irish Claddaugh Ring
Sometimes used as a friendship ring in America, the claddaugh ring is very popular today. First designed by a Galway jeweler in the 16th century, it typically shows a heart, crown and hands clenched together to symbolize love, eternity, and friendship respectively. When a man or woman is single, the ring is worn with the point of the heart facing away from the body. After marriage, a person turns the ring around to signify that they are taken.

The Jewish Wedding Band
Since ancient times, a Jewish wedding engagement and subsequent ceremony has not been valid unless there was a formal acceptance of an object that the man gave to the woman. Since the 7th century, this tradition, called kinyan, has been represented by the acquisition of a ring. The traditional ring is gold, and bears no inscription or gemstones. This is to signify the purity of the union. Especially in ancient times, the ring was made without gems to avoid misrepresentations of its value. That tradition has carried over today.

The Russian Wedding Ring
This ring is a combination of three linked rings, each a different color gold and believed to represent the Holy Trinity.

The Gimmal Ring
This is an engagement ring of sorts and was first seen in Europe in the early 16th century. It is made up of two, or sometimes three, detachable rings, often made of different colors of gold. When a couple gets engaged, each takes one of the rings to wear until they are rejoined on the bride's finger during the wedding ceremony. If there is a third ring, it is usually given to a special member of the wedding party who is a witness to the engagement and subsequent union. This person returns the third ring during the ceremony. Often the groom will keep and wear the third ring. The double-ring exchange common today has its roots in the Gimmal ring tradition.

Jade
In many Asian cultures, the deep green jade symbolizes good luck, health, and prosperity. You are never supposed to buy jade for yourself or it will lead to your demise. It must be given to you. Some families purchase a block of jade, which is seen as the vein of the family. At birth, a child is given a piece of jade from the block. At weddings, families exchange jade to welcome each other into their clans. Usually in the form of a ring or necklace, it blesses you with good luck and accepts you into the family.