Uncommon Wedding Ring Facts That Will Surprise You

Everyone knows what a wedding ring is, why you need one, and where to find the best wedding rings for sale offers. But some interesting facts about this simple but very solemn piece of jewelry will surprise you.

The exchange of rings at weddings is not exclusive to Christian or Western weddings; this custom has been in place among early civilizations going back to 4,800 years! The earliest record of a wedding ring comes from ancient Egypt, where the bride and groom could exchange rings made up of beautifully braided papyrus.

This idea of exchanging rings to symbolize love came to Europe through the Greek conquest of Egypt by Alexander the Great. The Greek rings showed symbols of Eros or Cupid, the God of Love in the Greek pantheon. At the start, the rings were made of copper or iron, but by the 2nd century CE, gold was the preferred material for wedding rings. When the Romans conquered Greek, they also adopted this practice which soon spread to other parts of Europe through Roman civilization.

Another thing that the Western World adopted from the ancient Egyptian about wedding rings is the finger on which to wear it. According to Egyptian belief, the left hand’s fourth finger had a vein connected to the heart. Hence, the couple showed their true devotion by wearing the ring on this finger. The Romans also followed this tradition, and even today, though we know that there is no such vein, we still wear our wedding ring on the fourth finger of the left hand.

Different cultures have different types of rings to symbolize the married status of the bride and groom. In certain parts of India, a Hindu bride will wear toe rings to show that she is married. They were two, each on one foot and the second toe. It is generally made of silver because gold is often considered sacred and cannot be worn on feet.

We all know that no personal jewelry is allowed for prisoners and visitors in prison. However, wedding rings are the only exception to this rule. Both married male and female prisoners can keep their wedding ring provided it is simple without any stones or embellishments. Visitors can also wear rings when meeting their incarcerated family members.

So, remember these interesting facts the next time you are in a jewelry shop in Bay Area looking at a wedding ring.