The Romantic History of Wedding Rings

The Romantic History of Wedding Rings

Date Icon 25 September, 2025

Wedding rings are probably one of the most common items of jewelry around—everyone immediately recognizes them as a symbol of eternal love. But why do we wear weddings rings, and where did the tradition come from? This custom has been around for thousands of years and exists in many different cultures.

Ancient Egypt

The tradition of giving rings to show love first originated with the ancient Egyptians. Like many historic cultures, they believes that the circle was a symbol of eternity, since it had no beginning and no end. The oldest recorded exchanges of weddings rings may have taken place around 4000 BC, nearly six thousand years ago.

Ancient Rome

The Egyptians used simple rings made of hemp or reeds, which were used mainly for the marriage ceremony itself. Unsurprisingly, these bands didn’t last for very long. The Romans adopted this tradition but instead made rings out of iron, which symbolized permanence and an unbreakable bond. They also borrowed the Egyptian practice of wearing the ring on the fourth finger of the left hand, since they believed that this finger contained a special vein that ran directly to the heart.

Medieval Europe

The Romans were probably also the first culture that engraved their wedding rings. In the middle ages, marriage rings were intricately carved with designs such as doves, hearts, or clasped hands, although by the 13th century these had fallen away in favor of simpler designs. Royalty and aristocrats wore wedding rings that were made of precious metals such as gold and silver, while common people had to make do with less expensive materials.

Modern Rings

The first record of a diamond engagement ring was in 1477, although adding gemstones to wedding rings didn’t really become common until the 1930’s. This was mostly due to jewelers’ marketing campaigns, which included the famous slogan “A Diamond is Forever”. Today, wedding rings come in many different styles and designs, and are worn by loving couples around the world.