Wedding Rings, Who Invented Them

With the Bride Show that will take place this month in Abu Dhabi, we would like to point out a few things that are related to wedding parties. When we hear the word wedding, a flower bouquet, wedding dress, and wedding ring may come first to mind as these have become the wedding symbols in the last hundred years or so.

However, the question is, are wedding rings relatively new as the flower bouquet or the white wedding gowns, or have they been there for longer than we think we know.

In fact, the wedding rings are as old as the Egyptian pyramids. The habit of having a special jewel to show someone’s marital status, commitment and relationship is another exciting invention by ancient Egyptians. They used rings of reeds, bones, leather or ivory to mark the commitment between couples. It was them who chose the shape of the ring, which has a shape that has no end, which indicates a lifetime commitment. The Egyptian Ouroboros ring was popular, it is still popular in jewellery nowadays, which is a snake swallowing its tail, and this is considered the oldest symbol of eternity in marriage.

Another contribution the ancient Egyptians did, was the place where wedding rings should be worn. They picked up the fourth finger from the thumb on the left hand, as they believed that it has a vein that goes directly to the heart.

The Greeks, then later on Romans, adopted this concept and added to it. For example, Romans used iron as the rings’ metal since it is more durable. The most remarkable contribution of the Roman in this matter is engraving rings. Fede ring is the production of this era. Fede rings with two hands clasped engraved on them. Another new design for wedding rings is signet rings which are rings cast in gold or carved into stone.

The church had a more sacred touch on wedding rings during the middle ages. First, they rejected lavish rings as more moderate and humble ones are acceptable. Also, marriage started to be performed more legally, or church weddings began to occur, so exchanging the wedding bands was an official way to declare the start of a lifetime faithful commitment.

However, it was only during WWII that men started wearing their bands. That is because men who were sent to the war away from their families needed something to remind them of their loved ones. Therefore, the wedding ring was the answer.

In recent years, wedding rings have become more personalized, and many couples choose what they like, regardless of “What supposed to be”. The touch of individuality is becoming clearer year by year.

However, we still have differences among cultures in wedding rings. But generally speaking, a ring, whether of gold or precious gemstone, will always be the ultimate meaning of love and devotion.