Why We Wear Our Engagement Rings Where We Do

Just like cutting the cake as a couple, wearing something blue and dressing bridesmaids in matching dresses, slipping an engagement ring on your left hand is a wedding tradition we never think to question. 

But if you have ever wondered what makes the third finger on your left hand any more rock-worthy than the rest, we have answers.

Wearing an engagement rings dates back to 13th Century Rome, when Catholics began the tradition of wearing simple metal bands due to a mandatory waiting period between betrothal and marriage imposed by the then-Pope.

As for why it was put on the left hand, this is supposedly down to a Greek and Roman belief that there’s a special vein, the ‘Vena Amoris,’ (Latin for vein of love) that runs directly from the ring finger to the heart. 

The reason diamond sparklers became mainstream doesn’t have quite as romantic a significance, however. 

Aristocracy have given shiny sparklers as a mark of betrothal as far back as the 1400s, but as for the general present day public, it was actually the result of a marketing stunt dating back to the 1930s by DeBeers. But hey, we’re not complaining. Love that we adopted this as a tradition.

So there you have it - some food for thought next time you flash your engagement ring to all your single friends.