Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

Engagement Rings: The Symbolism and Superstitions

By Kate Lawrence

An engagement ring embodies the love of a young couple for each other, and marks the tender togetherness they plan to carry forward into their future as their lives, families and aspirations blend. The giving and receiving of rings is a tradition which is steeped in history and brings with it many old wives’ tales and much iconic symbolism.

As well as many variations on the engagement ring style, there are various superstitious beliefs attached to wearing an engagement ring. The most prevalent is that if a single woman asks to try on another’s engagement ring then she will steal her fiancé. Another common superstition relates to the removal of a ring, and suggests that it should never be taken off. If removing the ring cannot be avoided, then it should be slid directly from the fourth finger to another on the opposite hand, with the fingertips touching as it is transferred. If the ring is ever taken off completely, then the man who first placed the ring on his lover’s finger should be the one who returns it there. Some say that a single woman who puts a fashion ring on her fourth or ‘ring’ finger before she is engaged will never get married, and it is this which helped popularise the fashion for right-hand rings instead.

Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

The most significant symbol associated with the engagement ring is also the most obvious and intrinsic; the circle. Symbolising eternity for many cultures because it is never-ending, the circle can also be a representation of the sun and moon, and the protection of the family unit. The Ancient Egyptians also believed that the inner space created by the circle served as a gateway to the unknown and the unwritten future which the couple were stepping out into together. The importance of the emblem pre-dates the use of metals, and originally bracelets and rings were carved or woven from bone, crystal, leather or grasses. Throughout history the ring has remained an enduring symbol of the lovers’ eternal bond, which is as relevant today as it was for the civilizations that first used it to display their commitment to one another.

Engagement rings are most commonly worn on the fourth digit of the left hand, next to the little finger. In some regions of Europe it is customary to wear it on the right hand, and in some faiths it is even worn on the index finger. The popular left-handed tradition may date back to Ancient Egyptian times and the mythical belief that the ring finger contains magical properties connected to the heart. Later dubbed the Vena Amoris or ‘vein of love’, many cultures including the Greeks and Romans placed wedding and engagement rings on this finger. They believed that blood flowed directly from the fourth finger to the heart, infusing it with their love and reinforcing the bond between the couple.

The most popular engagement gemstones are also the most hard-wearing, and perhaps because of their prevalence, have a raft of attributed values. Diamonds are.

Engagement Rings and Wedding Bands

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Here are some additional articles for you to read:

• Object Lesson: Engagement Rings - Ah, the engagement ring. Even though I have no romantic prospects, I already have mine picked out (The Tiffany Setting, if you please, Mr. Right). How did this strange, expensive object become a cultural artifact of such importance?

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