Engagement or Wedding Ring on the Ring Finger: Its Significance

10 September 2010- The engagement ring or the wedding ring is more than just a piece of jewelery. It is worn to symbolize commitment and love of a couple. For a women, an engagement ring is the best gift that she can expect from her would-be husband. And when this engagement ring gets replaced by the wedding ring, it becomes all the more evident that you are married and committed to your partner. By wearing an engagement ring or an wedding ring, a promise is sealed in stone, so as to tell the world that the person has made a commitment to someone else. Just like a woman, the man also wears an engagement ring to signify the impending nuptials and the wedding ring to signify that he is already wedded. Today, the jewelry market has come up with a wide assortment of such rings made of precious stones and metals.

Why the Ring Finger?

It is seen since time immemorial that while there are finger rings which can be worn in all fingers for fashion and style, the wedding or the engagement ring is always worn on the fourth finger on the left hand of a person. That is why this finger is said to be the ring finger. The most popular belief is that the fourth finger is considered to be the �vein of love� or "veina amoris". It means that the veins are directly connected to the heart. Hence, there is this tradition of wearing the engagement ring or wedding ring on the ring finger which leads straight to the heart, which is the symbol of love.

Chinese Explanation

The Chinese have given a very convincing explanation as to why the wedding ring is worn on the fourth finger? The five fingers represent the following:

• Thumb: Parents
• Index or Second Finger: Siblings
• Middle Finger: You
• Ring or Fourth Finger: Your Life Partner
• Little Finger: Your children

The Trick

Open your palms, bend the middle fingers and hold them together. Next, hold the thumb and the remaining three fingers tip to tip as shown below:

Now try to separate the fingers one by one. First, separate your thumbs. They will open. The thumbs represent your parents. This shows that your parents have to leave you sooner or later. Next you join your thumbs as before and open the index fingers which represent your siblings. This implies that your brothers and sisters will live their own separate lives with their families. You join the index fingers and now open the little fingers. The little fingers will also open. They represent your children, who will also settle down in their own way some day. Lastly, join your little fingers and separate your ring fingers. Can you separate them? NO ! This shows that the ring fingers, representing your partner, do not separate, thereby implying that husband and wife remain together all throughout their lives. Its a bonding for ever.