The History of Wedding Engagement Ring and Wedding Bands

Executive Summary About Wedding Engagement Ring by Reno Charlton

These days, many people take wedding bands and Wedding engagement ring for granted, and although they give these beautiful items of jewellery with integrity and love, they are often given with no real knowledge of the meaning behind them.

Both wedding bands and Wedding engagement ring are very special items of jewellery; in fact, they are more than just jewellery – they are the symbols of many emotions and promises such as:

• Love
• Commitment
• Fidelity
• Eternity
• Honour

The History Of Wedding Bands

Below, you will find a brief history of the wedding engagement ring and Wedding Bands, as reported from country to country.

EGYPTIANS

It was thought that the fourth finger (which we now know as the ring finger) contained a special vein that was connected directly to the heart, and therefore this became the official finger for the wedding band.

ROMANS

The Romans also agreed with the Egyptians with regards to the wedding ring finger and its meaning, but rather than offering wedding bands as a symbol of love, they awarded them as a symbol of ownership. Roman men would “claim” their woman with the giving of a ring.

ASIANS / ARABS

Wealthy Middle Eastern men then began to use these rings as wedding bands for their wives, who were often forced to wear a puzzle ring when their husband was away.

EUROPEANS

Several centuries ago, the Europeans became rather taken with what we would class as an wedding engagement ring, but was then called a Poesy Ring. This ring was given to a loved one as a form of promise, and signified fidelity and love. The Poesy Ring was offered as a pledge of eternal togetherness, much as today’s wedding engagement rings are offered as a promise of eternal marriage.

AMERICANS

During Colonial times, all items of jewellery in America were prohibited due to their apparent moral worthlessness.

History Of Wedding Engagement Rings

The wedding engagement ring of today also has its own varied and interesting history, some of which is explored below.

GREEKS

The ancient Greeks are thought to have been the forerunners in the rising of the traditional wedding engagement ring. Given as a token of care and affection, the rings used by the Greeks were known as betrothal rings and were given before marriage. However, the giving of these rings was not always a pre-requisite to marriage and was often given in the same way as a friendship ring might be given today.

ROMANS

As seen by their use of the wedding engagement ring, ancient Romans weren’t the most sentimental of people, and the early version of their “engagement ring” were thought to have carved keys on them. Wedding engagement rings as we know them today – stunning gems encased in precious metals – became popular in around the fourteenth or fifteenth century, when the affluent and the royals began to exchange and wear these jewels. It was to be many centuries before these engagement rings would become more popular or traditional.

Why a ring?

The purpose of wedding engagement ring and wedding bands is to convey deep emotions of eternal love, eternal happiness, eternal commitment, and eternal togetherness. In fact, these rings signify eternity – between the giver and the recipient.

Check out my other guide on mens rings.