Where does the wedding ring come from?

January 4


When my husband proposed, he gave me a beautiful ring, it is a flower-shaped cluster of black and white diamonds on a white gold band. I was thrilled to receive such a unique ring, but was very stressed about finding a band to go with it. After talking with a friend, I decided to simply wear my engagement ring as my wedding band. It doesn't follow tradition, but nothing about my marriage is traditional, so it's an apt symbol.

While I was filling out my calendar for things to learn in January, I looked at my left hand and decided to add "Where does the wedding ring come from?" to my list. It turns out that most theories suggest that wedding rings originated in Egypt and is indicated in papyrus scrolls as a piece of woven hemp exchanged between husband and wife. They are worn on the left hand's fourth finger because the Egyptians believed that a vein ran from that finger to the heart.

Gimmel Rings

The ring was present in Europe as early as the 1500's, with "gimmel" rings, or interlocking bands similar to puzzle rings. An engaged couple would wear the bands unlocked until their marriage, when the two pieces were united and worn by the wife.

Interestingly, it wasn't until the twentieth century that men began wearing wedding bands. I'm guessing a bit of feminism is present in this cultural shift.





Today's source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_ring