The history of the wedding ring

The wedding ring is a symbol of love

With its endless form, the wedding ring binds together and unites. Nothing is as strongly associated with marriage and weddings as the wedding ring itself. In a church wedding, the exchange of rings is part of the ceremony. Most people who have a civil ceremony also choose to wear a ring. The ring sits on the finger as a constant reminder of love and togetherness.

Smooth wedding ring

Today, the plain gold ring is the most common, but this has not always been the case. In earlier times, rings did not have a uniform shape; instead, they were often designed with motifs of the Madonna, handshakes and heart-shaped stone settings. The plain gold ring came into use when, in the early 1800s, women began to wear two rings. It was then that the custom was established of exchanging two plain gold rings at the engagement, with the groom subsequently presenting the bride with a (plain) gold ring at the wedding. This is quite unique to Sweden.

Find your wedding ring

Find your wedding ring

The history of the ring

The tradition of wearing wedding rings has its origins in Roman law, where the ring was used as a confirmation of agreements entered into. In the Church of Sweden’s current marriage ceremony, the ring has the same significance. Since the 16th century, we have worn the engagement and wedding rings on the ring finger of the left hand. This is probably due to the belief in ancient Egypt that the so-called ‘vein of love’ (vena amoris) ran directly to the heart from the fingertip of the fourth finger of the left hand.
After the 1930s, new designs such as eternity rings set with brilliant-cut diamonds and precious stones along the band were introduced, following foreign trends. In the 1980s, they became really popular and remain so to this day. The eternity ring is here to stay in our country too.

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