We’ve looked into the history of the ring to find out why we continue to wear this token of love
Words by Emma Langman
One wedding tradition that’s followed by almost every bride and groom is the exchanging of rings. It’s at this point in the ceremony that the bond between the two is officially sealed and the couple become newlyweds at last. Long after the celebrations are over and the thank-you notes have been written, husbands and wives around the world still wear their wedding bands as a sign of their commitment to one another.
But while a wedding ring looks pretty, that can’t be the only explanation for why we swap circles of metals in front of our family and friends to mark our transition into a married couple, can it?
Over the centuries, the Greeks and then the Romans took up the custom of wearing a band to symbolise the joining together of two people. The Romans called it the ‘vena amoris’ – Latin for ‘the vein of love’. That’s why we wear wedding rings on the fourth finger of the left hand, as it’s thought that its vein travels directly to the heart, linking the two together. It’s also thought to be the least used finger in the hand so the ring shouldn’t get too damaged while being worn.
The ring is also a emblem of eternity that translates through many cultures. “The main symbolism of the wedding ring is that, as a circle, it is never-ending,” points out Gareth Mundie. With no beginning and no end, it characterises the joining together of two people to form a new whole with its own history. The hole in the centre of the ring also means something, signifying a gateway leading to the new events you’ll experience together as a married couple.
By the time we reach the Romans in history, the meaning of this symbol was altered to incorporate the idea of ownership. Roman men would ‘claim’ their woman with the giving of a ring. These were made of metal for strength and permanence, and engraved for the first time.
There’s been a change in recent years too, with more grooms happy to wear a wedding band. Wearing jewellery was often seen as a feminine affectation, but during the Second World War an increasing number of men decided to don their ring as a reminder of home. Since then, men’s jewellery has become more fashionable and it’s now much more likely to see a groom keeping his ring firmly on his finger after the big day’s over.