History of Wedding Rings
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The
history of wedding rings is long and ancient. Check below for a quick timeline of this ancient
custom.
The Egyptians are credited with the origin of the wedding ring some 4,800 years.
Twisting plant material such as hemp into rings and bracelets, they believed, were linked
to an immortal love with no end. These rings were worn on the fourth finger of the left hand
based on a belief in vena amoris, or love vein. It was believed that this vein connected
directly from that finger to the heart, thereby linking the couple's destiny.
The Romans took a less romantic approach. Their iron wedding bands were not a symbol of
love, but signified a binding legal agreement of ownership by their husbands, who regarded
rings as tokens of purchase. As with the Egyptians, the Romans believed in vena amoris and
wore the bands on the fourth finger of their left hand.
2,000 years ago in Asia, puzzle rings were very popular. This trend followed into the early trade
routes to the Middle East, where they were commonly used as wedding bands, especially by sultans and
sheiks who required each of their wives to wear one as a pledge of loyalty while he was away. If the
wife were to remove her ring, it would fall apart, making it very difficult to put back together without
knowing the solution.
Europe-Sterling silver poesy
wedding rings became very popular during the Renaissance and continued
to be so into the 17th century. Poesy bands were etched with verse and frequently cited in
Shakespeare's plays.
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