Raise your Right Hand!

The wearing of an engagement or wedding ring is most often associated with the left hand. In some countries including Bulgaria, Germany, Norway, Colombia, Australia, Poland, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine, Brazil, Uruguay, Venezuela, and India, wedding and engagement rings were historically worn on the right ring finger.

However, most Western cultures particularly the US and UK, use the left hand as the symbol of commitment to another. This leaves the right hand open for a commitment to self.

Like many items of jewelry throughout history, the right-hand ring has a story to tell. In Greek and Roman history the right-hand ring has been thought to symbolize a commitment to the Sun-God: Apollo and political or economic success respectively. More recently in the US the right-hand ring being worn by women in the 1920’s was a symbol of independent wealth.

The 20s were a revolutionary time for women, having finally obtained the right to vote and gain a greater level of independence. The haircuts and skirts got shorter and women claimed their independence in fashion and jewelry. The message of the ring on the right-hand ring finger was: the bigger the ring, the greater her financial independence.


More recent times have seen women re-embracing the power of the right-hand ring: “Your left hand declares your commitment. Your right hand is a declaration of independence. Your left hand lives for love. Your right hand lives for the moment. Your left hand wants to be held. Your right hand wants to be held high. Women of the world raise your right hand.”
*A diamond is forever ©

While the left ring finger is meant to symbolize your commitment to another in engagement and marriage, when it comes to the right hand ring the story is you. The right-hand ring is a symbol of independent identity, a symbol of your unique journey, and your manifesto to the world.

It may be a reward, a symbolic celebration of an achievement in life, or a commitment to yourself and your story. The right-hand ring is about you, you decide its meaning.“Your left hand rocks the cradle, your right hand rules the world. Women of the world raise your right hand!”*

*Courtesy of DeBeers right-hand ring campaign, circa the early 2000s.

Credit: Photo by History.com