Where did the tradition of wedding rings come from
It has always been obvious to me that a wedding ring is a clear visual indicator to the rest of the world that you are “off the market” but I’ve never known where the tradition originated and also I’ve been even more curious to know why we (in the US) wear our wedding rings on on left “ring” finger.
The history of the wedding ring goes back 6000 years to ancient Egypt where people used to braid reed or hemp and exchange rings with their spouse. How do we know this? Archaeologists have found both relics as well as papyrus scrolls depicting this practice. The circular shape of the ring was symbolic. Since a circle has no beginning or end it was meant to represent the eternal love and commitment of the couple. This symbolism still holds true today. Even the custom of wearing the ring on the 4th finger of the left hand can be traced back to this time period. The ancient Egyptians believed that this finger enclosed a special vein that was connected directly to the heart which, in Latin, became known as the “Vena amoris” or vein of love.
Since reed and hemp bands didn’t last very long, couples began exchanging rings out of more and more expensive materials beginning with leather, then bone or ivory, and moving into metals. The practice of a wedding ring spread to ancient Rome and Greece and eventually across Europe during the spread of Christianity. In ancient Rome, rings were made out of iron to symbolize strength and permanence. Over the course of history metal rings have taken on many different shapes and permutations including the gimmel ring of interlocking bands, which were popular in the 16th and 17th centuries, the posy ring containing an inscription on the inside and commonly worn in the 15th century, and the fede ring depicting two hands clasping in love or agreement which is is where the modern Irish Claddagh ring stems from.
The Romans even personalized their wedding rings by carvings images of the couples themselves into the metal. This spread across Europe and as Christianity took a strong hold, the couple was often depicted with Jesus or a cross between them, blessing their marriage.
The first known diamond ring was from as far back as the late 100s AD in Rome where an uncut diamond ring was discovered. Diamonds were considered valuable in those times for their strength, but since there were no tools to cut the stone and reveal the sparkle it was probably a less-than-impressive looking ring. The first documented diamond wedding ring was in 1475 for the wedding of Costanzo Sforza and Camilla D’Aragona in Italy. Their wedding inscription read“Two wills, two hearts, two passions are bonded in one marriage by a diamond”.
The first engagement rings were seen in the 15th century where the father of the bride would send a gift of jewelry to the father of the groom, proposing the intent to marry off his daughter. It became more and more common for this gift to be a diamond ring, though it wasn’t until De Beers’ launched their “Diamond is Forever” campaign in 1948 that the concept of diamond engagement rings really became the norm.
Up until recent times, it was typical for only the woman to wear a wedding ring. This was true in the United States before World War II, but during the war, servicemen wore their wedding rings to show commitment and also as a way to remember their wives while they were stationed overseas. The same thing continued during the Korean War and after that, it became more popular among civilians for both parties to wear a wedding ring.
Some cultures wear the rings on the right hands, some on different fingers, and some don’t have the concept of the wedding ring at all. In the US, however, the tradition of wearing both an engagement ring as well as wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand is alive and well. You can even get silicon rings to wear during sports/exercise, travel, or just cause you think it’s cool.
