Posted on 8th Mar 2010 @ 11:49 PM

Men's engagement rings sometimes called "mangagement rings" are the latest hot trend in the UK.

The men's engagement ring can be given when the woman proposes to her man (a recent survey discovered two-thirds of those surveyed were comfortable with the idea of a woman initiating a marriage proposal with men actually being more comfortable with the idea than women) or purchased after the traditional proposal by the man to the woman. Either way a men's engagement ring is a nice gift by the woman to the man to symbolize the beginning of this phase of their relationship.

In a country where a generation a go men's wedding rings were not common, today most British couples exchange wedding rings so it seems logical the men's engagement ring is the next step in wedding jewellery traditions.

Paula Hall a couples' psychotherapist, was quoted in a February 2010 Times article about the men's engagement ring trend, "I can certainly see positives in this. It's clearly symbolic, but what it potentially does is demonstrate a shared commitment to the process and journey of being a couple....Showing mutual commitment is important....If an engagement ring is traditionally a symbol that a woman belongs to a man, this makes it a symbol that the couple belongs to each other instead."

Many feminists argue the traditional women's engagement ring is really all about how wealthy the husband to be is and it a symbol of the wife to be belonging to her fiancée.  So does the men's engagement ring bring a sense of equality to the relationship? Opinions differ; some argue it does others suggest it is a jewellers ploy to sell more rings.

Some men are resistant to the idea of wearing any ring let alone a men's engagement ring. Others find the idea intriguing. The key is to find a style of ring the man is comfortable wearing.

Jewellers are offering men's wedding ring sets that incorporate the men's engagement ring and wedding ring into a matching set which can be worn on the same finger one above the other or on different fingers on different hands. The sets feature rings that are of the same or complimentary style and design. These sets are generally made of the same metal and sometimes have the same gems set into both bands.

The men's engagement rings can be found in any metal but titanium and platinum are popular choices because of their durability. These rings can withstand active life styles and stand up to the abuse rings are exposed to when men who work with their hands wear the rings everyday. The men's engagement rings, much like women's engagement rings, can be found in styles from a simple metal band to a band decorated with elaborate designs or bands with a gem or multiple gems set into the bands.

The choice is personal and depends on the budget the woman has for the ring and the lifestyle of the man who is going to be wearing the ring.