The Meaning of Wedding Rings | Wedding KnowHow | CHURINGA WEDDING RINGS

As Wedding Know How editors, we write about things that we love and we think you'll like too. We have affiliate partnerships and sponsorship and may generate some revenue from these at no cost to you.

Contents

• The Symbolism of
  the Circle
• The Symbolism of
  the Wedding Band Metal
• Symbolism of the
  Ring Finger
• The Wedding Ring
  Style Contributes to Its Meaning
• Overall Symbolism
  of a Wedding Ring

The origin of wedding
rings dates so far back to before recorded history, making this one of the
oldest continuous traditions that still exists. And while the wedding ring
itself has seen many changes in terms of material used and styles incorporated,
the original meaning of the ring hasn’t changed much. It still remains one of
the most meaningful pieces of jewelry you’ll ever own.

Let’s take a look at
the meaning of wedding rings.

The Symbolism of
the Circle

Since ancient times,
circles have represented infinity, eternity and equality. A circle has no end
and no beginning, no prominent feature that stands out. It’s a continuous loop
that looks exactly the same from all angles. The opening in the middle of the
ring represents a door to the future.

As such, the very
shape of the wedding ring is full of meaning some of which are:

1. Equality
2. Continuity
3. Eternity
4. Totality
5. Wholeness
6. Completion
7. Perfection
8. Timelessness
9. Entering
   the future
10. For the
    religious, the circle represents God. According to Hermes Trismegistus, ‘God
    is an infinite circle whose center is everywhere and whose circumference is
    nowhere’.

These meanings are
ideal for a couple about to start a new chapter together.

The Symbolism of
the Wedding Band Metal

Wedding rings have
their origin in Egypt where in the very beginning, when wedding rings were just
becoming a thing, they were made out of woven reeds or hemp. Because reeds and
hemp weren’t durable, they would subsequently be replaced with rings made out
of more durable materials like bone or leather. For the Egyptians, the rings
represented eternal commitment and love.

Later on, metal was
used to create wedding rings, giving the wearer an opportunity to showcase
their status as well. Iron and bronze were affordable and durable options for
wedding rings while gold and silver were worn by the upper classes. It was only
in the 1800s when many gold mines were discovered around the world, that gold
became common for wedding rings. Yellow gold remains the classic wedding ring
choice while platinum has become one of the top choices but is more expensive.

Here’s a quick look at
the meaning of the metals:

• Silver – represents wisdom, purity, serenity and
  tranquillity.
• Gold – represents love, illumination, positivity,
  passion, wealth, prosperity, glamor and grandeur.
• Platinum
  – true love, strength, purity,
  rarity and everlasting love.

Today, there’s a range of alternative metals used for wedding bands, including tungsten, titanium, palladium, cobalt, Damascus steel and mokume gane. Each has its own pros and cons to offer.

Enter Diamonds for
Wedding Bands

Diamonds weren’t used
in wedding bands until around the late 1500s and even then, they were only
popular among the upper classes. Only royalty and nobility could afford this
expensive stone. These rings were typically used as betrothal rings, which were
the precursors to today’s engagement rings. However, incorporating small
diamonds into wedding bands became popular and continues to this day.

Diamonds symbolize
strength, integrity, loyalty, purity and fidelity. It’s also the strongest
gemstone out there, making it ideal for daily wear.

Symbolism of the
Ring Finger

The wedding ring is commonly worn on the fourth finger of the left hand
(although this can vary depending on the region and culture you’re looking at).
In the past, the Romans believed that a vein, called the Vena Amoris (the vein
of love), ran directly from that finger to the heart. Because of this, it
became tradition to wear the wedding ring on this finger as it was seen as a
connection between to the heart.

Unfortunately, there is no such vein connecting the fourth finger to the
heart. But while science tells us this today, the tradition continues.

The Wedding Ring
Style Contributes to Its Meaning

While we’re on the topic of the meaning of wedding rings, we can’t dismiss the meaning that the style of the ring gives to it. There are many wedding ring styles available, each with its own pros and cons and symbolism. Here’s a quick look:

• Eternity band – this ring style features diamonds or
  another gemstone surrounding the entire circumference of the ring. This ring
  style represents eternal love, equality and passion.
• Infinity band – like the eternity
  band, this style showcases the figure-8 infinity symbol which represents
  timelessness, endlessness and togetherness for all time.
• Wishbone band – also called the
  chevron ring style, wishbone wedding bands symbolize hope, good luck, fortune,
  joy and positivity.
• Claddagh wedding ring – these traditional
  Irish wedding bands feature two hands holding a heart, with a crown perched on
  top. The hands represent friendship, while the heart symbolizes love and the
  crown represents loyalty.
• Five stone wedding ring – five stones could
  represent particular traits in a relationship like commitment

Overall Symbolism
of a Wedding Ring

You’ve likely seen the movie scene where someone took off their wedding
ring to fool an unsuspecting person into believing they were single. This is
because wedding rings make a strong statement and point out your relationship
status. It’ll define how other people respond to you and reveals something
about you.

The wedding ring has come to represent marriage, and wearing a ring
represents your commitment, loyalty and faithfulness to your chosen partner. While
the ring is a representation of all these things it’s also a reminder of your
partner’s commitment to you.

Wrapping Up…

Each individual aspect
of a wedding ring is full of meaning and taken together, this results in a
highly meaningful piece of jewelry. The shape of the ring, the metal it’s made
of, the gemstones incorporated into it, the finger it’s worn on and the style
it portrays all contribute to the overall meaning of your wedding ring.

Even today, after all
this time, wedding rings continue to carry weight and meaning, and are
sentimental, emotional and highly meaningful pieces of jewelry to be worn.

You may also like

A Guide to Green Gold – All You Need to Know