wedding rings

When you decide to get married, chances are that you and your fiancé will opt to follow the tradition of wearing wedding rings, worn on the left ring finger (or sometimes the right ring finger, depending on the culture). Whether or not you decide to follow all of the other traditions, such as a white wedding gown, or bridesmaids and groomsmen, or flower girls and ring bearers, or any of the other customs and traditions, you will most likely make the choice to choose and wear wedding bands.

Wedding bands have historically been a symbol of a couple’s love for one another, and their dedication to their marriage. Through the ages, wedding bands were only worn by the wife; the husband did not wear one. However, in the past century or two, due to efforts on the part of the jewelry industry to sell more rings, undoubtedly, they came to be worn by both the wife and the husband.

The use of wedding rings is a practice which goes back several centuries, if not millennia. We know of the use of wedding bands in ancient cultures such as Egypt, Rome or Greece. Two interesting beliefs existed at this time in history regarding the wearing of the ring on the left hand. First, the fourth finger of the left hand was thought to have a vein that ran directly to the heart. Fittingly, the wedding ring was worn on this hand. Second, it is estimated that 90% of the world’s population is right handed; due to this fact that the left hand is weaker and considered to be inferior, and was thus chosen as the appropriate hand on which to wear the wedding ring. This was an ideal way to wear the ring for women of ancient cultures; as she was considered to be the inferior partner in the marriage, the wearing of the wedding ring on her left hand indicated her submissiveness to her husband.

A number of different precious stones have been used in making wedding rings throughout history. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that an amethyst was the ideal choice for the husband, as a way for him to demonstrate his faithfulness to his wife and to his marriage. Rubies, which are actually rarer than diamonds, were believed, because of their red colour, to ward off evil spirits.

Other stones which have been used in these rings are the emerald (bliss and love), the garnet (true friendship), the sapphire (good health and fortune, and truth and faithfulness), and the aquamarine (the wearer of the ring would have more courage and intelligence).

Wedding Rings are ideal for symbolising the long-term nature of your marriage and relationship with one another. Just as the ring is circular, which is a never-ending, perfect shape, your marriage, which it symbolises, is similarly a never-ending, perfect relationship. Choosing a durable metal such as gold, platinum, or titanium, from which to manufacture the wedding bands, further emphasizes the eternal nature of your marriage relationship with your fiancé or spouse.