RINGS OF LOVE

A ring instantly evokes feeling of commitment, promise, love and loyalty. This is because

of its long association with weddings and engagements. But is that why the concept of

rings emerged or did they serve other purposes in ancient times?

HISTORY OF THE RING

Rings are said to have originated in the Middle-East and travelled around the world from

there. It is said that they were used for three purposes in ancient times:

To indicate status

To seal business or transactions

As a mark of commitment in love

For ornamentation

As an instrument of black magic

The circle was symbolic of eternity in most cultures and the space in the centre was

o sidered a gate a to the u k o . I itiall made with grass or paper, rings were

crafted with ivory, leather, bone and gradually gold and platinum. Infact the material

used i the ri g e a e a represe tatio of the earer s or the gi ers fi a ial status.

‘o a e ould gift iro ri gs to o e as a s ol of o ership .

Rings were also said to possess supernatural powers and be the carriers of dark magic.

Charm rings engraved with symbols, words and figures were worn during the Middle

Ages to stay protected from evils.

I I dia, ri gs for a part of the solah si gaar or si tee esse tial or a e ts of

women. It is said that Sita flung her ring to the ground when Raavan abducted her, in

the hope that Lord Rama would find it and come looking for her.

THE WEDDING RING

Engagement/wedding rings, that mark the coming together of two souls, have always

been worn on the third finger of the left hand. There are several reasons and

assumptions behind this tradition:

As most movies would also tell you, it is said that the fourth finger has a love

vein- vena amoris–that runs directly to the heart. This however is pure fiction, as

all other veins too follow the same path.

Early Christian priests would recite the Trinitarian formula- I the a e of the

Father, the “o a d the Hol “pirit - and touch the thumb, the index finger, and

the middle finger respectively and fi all rest of the ri g fi ger a d utter A e

to seal the marriage. This could be a reason for wearing a ring on this finger.

A more practical assumption suggests that since most people are right handed,

wearing a ring on the left hand served practical purposes.

Wedding rings used to be just simple bands of metals but gradually gold, diamonds and

now platinum became the metals of choice. The size of the diamond on the ring became

an obsession as well as a means to show status. Rings with solitaire diamonds were the

norm but now people seek out coloured diamonds as well as diamonds in unusual

shapes. Platinum is another budding choice for wedding rings due to its rarity and

durability. Perso alized et hed plati u ri gs that spell out people s lo e are

increasingly being ordered.