Wedding rituals and traditions reach back thousands of years and the wedding ring is the most central of these. As couples shop for engagement and wedding rings, many miss the fascinating story of this symbol of love, unity and commitment. For example:

• In ancient Egypt, the circle represented eternity in hieroglyphics. As early as 2800 B.C., the Egyptians were the first to wear rings to signify eternal marriage, uninterrupted by death.
• 2000 years ago, Asian puzzle rings were given to the brides of sheiks and sultans. The puzzle rings were required to be worn by each of their wives to show their pledge of fidelity while the sheiks or sultans were away. If these rings were taken off for any reason the puzzle made it very difficult to be put back together without knowing the answer to the puzzle.
• Romans men of means also gave their brides rings of gold upon marriage; those who could not afford the precious metal, gave their brides rings of iron which were worn as proudly.
•   The Romans also started a tradition which we still see today. The friendship ring (with two hands clasped together) and made popular in the 60’s and 70’s is based upon a designed unearthed at Pompeii and is nearly 2000 years old.
• A variant of the Roman friendship ring is the Celtic Claddagh ring from the 15th century; the ring has two hands clasping a heart.
• In the 12th century, Pope Innocent the Third decreed that all marriages celebrated under the Catholic Church must be include a ring as part of the ceremony.
• The first diamond wedding rings became fashionable during the reign of Louis XI of France (1461-1483), when diamond faceting became widely available to jewelers.
• In India, it was common for gold wedding rings to be worn on the thumb and then only for a few days after the ceremony; the ring would then be fashioned into other jewelry!

Why on the left hand? Wedding rings are traditionally worn on the ring finger of the left hand because the Greeks thought that a vein ran from this finger directly to the heart.

No matter the era or the culture, the wedding ring is the most enduring symbol of matrimony.