The Wedding Ring as a Symbol in Jewelry Fashion

Jewelry Fashion Beginnings

Jewelry fashion among humans began as symbolism nearly 100,000 years ago. When the Stone Age people of Africa left the cradle of the world and moved across the continents during and after the last ice age, ideas and ingenuity moved with them. Jewelry fashion as symbolism was more expressive than the written and spoken word. It told strangers who the wearers were, what they believed and where they came from. And over time, symbolism in jewelry became as important as jewelry fashion.

The Wedding Ring in History

  The wedding ring has a long history in jewelry fashion and symbolism. Ancient Egyptians believed the circle or ring shape was a symbol of eternity and it was representative of the sun and moon. The hole in the center of the ring symbolized a gateway to unknown possibilities. These early rings were made of twisted hemp or papyrus and given as tokens of love. Later, the art of metallurgy brought rings made of iron, copper, silver and gold. By this time, in ancient Rome, the gift and acceptance of the ring became a legal contract between a man and women. The early wedding ring was born.

  Design Your Own Wedding Ring

  The wedding ring is a symbol of love and eternity. So what better way to express that love than to design your rings yourself? Wedding rings are personal. They are about two people becoming one and it should be a joint expression of your future lives together. They are permanent symbols of that unity.

Begin a file with graphics and pictures of wedding rings and other things that express yourselves symbolically. Agree on the metal choice. Ask yourselves if you want plain bands or bands with cut work like the ancient Celtic knot wedding rings. Sketch out your ideas. When you feel you have what you want, take your sketches and ideas to a good jewelry designer and work with them to bring your ideas to fruition. More and more people are designing their own wedding rings and it's not as difficult or intimidating as it may seem.

  The Wedding Ring Symbol in Tattoos

  Tattoo artists are springing up in towns and cities everywhere. People see tattoos as a way of self-expression and symbolism. The wedding ring tattoo as a symbol is taking precedence over the wedding ring itself for some people. Ring fingers are "getting inked" everywhere.

The risk to getting wedding ring tattoos is in the size of the tattoo. The small area on the finger, the healing process and the constant use of the fingers, can cause the tattoo to become fuzzy with imperfections. It's important to care for the tattoo as the fingers heal. If you choose to have the wedding ring symbol tattooed on your finger, keep it simple is the best advice. The more detailed and intricate the design, the higher the chances of distortion when it's healed. Choose a good tattoo artist with recommendations.

  Wedding Ring Etiquette

  Wedding rings have their own symbolic rules and etiquette. To begin with, the bride and groom's wedding bands should match or work together. The metals should be the same and the bands should be similar in styling. In wedding ring etiquette, each partner pays for the other partner's wedding band. Both wedding rings are gifts of love to each other when the couples marry. In the west, wedding rings are worn on the forth finger of the left hand. The ancient Greeks believed this finger represented the God Apollo and symbolized human relationships and love.

  The Wedding Ring Set

  The bride and groom's wedding rings traditionally match, but the bride wants her wedding ring to fit perfectly with her engagement ring. And in most cases, that engagement ring is a surprise. But times are changing. Custom now allows a mutual decision. While the wedding rings are indeed gifts to each other, they also represent a huge investment, so it's important that both partners are involved. And if you both agree that all three rings should match, you need to choose them together to find the wedding ring set that is right for you.

  Symbolism of the Wedding Ring Quilt

  The wedding ring quilt is more about tradition than symbolism. In the early 20th century, women in the family worked together to make a gift of the double wedding ring quilt to the newest bride in their flock. The interlinked rings were appliqued or stitched into the quilt top before the actually quilting began. The wedding ring has always symbolized love and unity and the quilt itself was made with love and the unity of the women who huddled over the quilting frame telling stories.

Men and women today still wear jewelry as symbolism - anything from St. Christopher medals to friendship beads and graduation rings. But the most popular symbol in jewelry fashion is the wedding ring and that symbol has gone beyond jewelry and fashion.