John Leonard Studio Blog

The Wedding Ring

September 22, 2010

The wedding ring is a symbol of eternity made in precious metal.

My research has found that wedding rings originated in Egypt as a symbol of a man’s love for his wife. It was worn on the third finger of the left hand because Egyptians believed that a vein ran directly from there to the heart. The tradition was adopted by the Greeks when they conquered Egypt and from them to the Romans. The Romans called that supposed vein “vena amores”.  The early Roman wedding ring was made of iron to symbolize the strength of a man’s love for his wife. I suspect that rust may have had something to do with ending that manifestation of the custom.

At one time what we call wedding rings were given as betrothal rings. Some say this was given as a way to show a man’s wealth. Some say they were given to show a future wife that a man trusted her with his wealth.

Double ring ceremonies are a relatively new arrival on the scene. The tradition of a man wearing a ring got a boost during World War II when men going to war wanted to have something to remind them of their sweethearts at home. This tradition was became more popular with the prosperity of post war America.

Today one can find wedding/commitment rings made of many metals, from titanium to platinum. They can be worn on either hand, depending on the local custom. The most common wedding/commitment ring is still the plain yellow gold band.

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