When you start shopping for a wedding band for your own wedding day, you are taking part in a tradition which people have engaged in for thousands of years. There is a lot of history and many traditions associated with wedding rings, with cultures from all parts of the globe using these rings to symbolize love and commitment in their wedding ceremonies in one form or another.
As far as historians have been able to ascertain, the ancient Egyptians were one of the first cultures to incorporate wedding rings in their wedding ceremonies. People in ancient Egypt would use the materials which were affordable for them to create their wedding rings, with hemp or leather being used by the lower classes, while the more affluent would use carved ivory rings instead. Unlike our modern wedding rings, these were designed to last only a couple of years and were given as gifts by the couple to each other on their wedding day rather than lasting a lifetime as we think of them today.
Though the tradition of the wedding ring is an old one, it might interest you to know that there were many different types. While we are very familiar with the plain gold bands, Greek women and Anatolian women in years past received puzzle rings, while women in many French speaking countries received a band that was made up of three rings interwoven together.
The way that wedding rings have been worn has changed over time. While it is now customary to wear ones wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand, Russian brides once wore their rings on the third finger of the right hand instead. In England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, women wore their wedding rings on their thumbs. While tradition hold that wedding rings are worn on the left hands ring finger due to the presence of a vein there which goes straight to the heart, this is not actually the case (though it makes a wonderful story).
When looking for wedding rings, there are many styles to choose from. Other than the familiar plain gold band, there is always the French style interlocking bands, the puzzle ring and even wedding bands which are styled after Celtic knotwork. No matter which type you choose, your wedding ring is a symbol of your love and your commitment to your spouse " and like your marital bonds, your wedding rings can last a lifetime. - 15252
As far as historians have been able to ascertain, the ancient Egyptians were one of the first cultures to incorporate wedding rings in their wedding ceremonies. People in ancient Egypt would use the materials which were affordable for them to create their wedding rings, with hemp or leather being used by the lower classes, while the more affluent would use carved ivory rings instead. Unlike our modern wedding rings, these were designed to last only a couple of years and were given as gifts by the couple to each other on their wedding day rather than lasting a lifetime as we think of them today.
Though the tradition of the wedding ring is an old one, it might interest you to know that there were many different types. While we are very familiar with the plain gold bands, Greek women and Anatolian women in years past received puzzle rings, while women in many French speaking countries received a band that was made up of three rings interwoven together.
The way that wedding rings have been worn has changed over time. While it is now customary to wear ones wedding ring on the third finger of the left hand, Russian brides once wore their rings on the third finger of the right hand instead. In England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth, women wore their wedding rings on their thumbs. While tradition hold that wedding rings are worn on the left hands ring finger due to the presence of a vein there which goes straight to the heart, this is not actually the case (though it makes a wonderful story).
When looking for wedding rings, there are many styles to choose from. Other than the familiar plain gold band, there is always the French style interlocking bands, the puzzle ring and even wedding bands which are styled after Celtic knotwork. No matter which type you choose, your wedding ring is a symbol of your love and your commitment to your spouse " and like your marital bonds, your wedding rings can last a lifetime. - 15252
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