Which finger is the engagement ring on?
A marriage proposal is one of the most romantic moments in the life of a future married couple. A young man is worried before asking the main question in his life, wondering whether his chosen one will say the cherished "yes". And for girls, a fiery speech and an engagement ring becomes a stunning surprise. After the words of love have been said, the bride-to-be puts on an ornament on her finger as a sign of consent.
Features of tradition
The tradition of giving jewelry during the offer came to the countries of Eastern Europe from the West. The ring as a gift symbolizes the seriousness of intentions and the sincerity of the feelings of the future groom. The girl accepts the jewelry as evidence that she is ready to share the rest of her life with her lover.
Some young people prefer to surprise their chosen one in full view, for example, in a restaurant or at a gala event. Others find this moment very personal and offer their hand and heart in private. They celebrate with relatives and friends after they have submitted an application to the registry office.
Right or left hand
An engagement ring is an unpaired piece of jewelry, unlike an engagement ring. Such a jewel is in the family in a single copy and only the bride wears it. In the East Slavic countries, which include Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, it is customary to wear it on the ring finger of the right hand. The same tradition is in Poland.
Future wives of Western European countries and America wear a ring presented by the groom on their left hand. Someone after the marriage ceremony hides this jewel in a box, while someone continues to wear it, but on the right hand.
It is not customary to wear the groom's gift directly to the ceremony, regardless of whether the woman plans to wear it after that. The bride's finger should be decorated exclusively with a wedding ring.
According to Slavic traditions, widowed spouses wear rings on their left hand. Therefore, after registration, our girls either no longer wear an engagement ring, or combine it with an engagement ring. Then it is important that the design of the rings is in harmony with each other. In addition, two rings should not cause discomfort to a delicate woman's hand.
The ring presented by the future husband is usually worn on the ring finger. This applies to all regions, regardless of which hand it is customary to wear it on. There are many opinions as to why the ring finger is intended for wearing wedding jewelry. Some find an explanation in human anatomy - it is from him that the nerve stretches to the very heart. Others prefer more romantic versions.
If you put your palms together, bending your middle fingers, and connect the rest only with pads, then you can see something unusual. All fingers can be easily separated, except for the ring fingers. Therefore, they became a symbol of the inseparability of two loving hearts.
If the ring didn't fit
Whatever the traditions and superstitions, modern realities dictate their conditions. A young man chooses a ring for his beloved without her. Therefore, the jewel sometimes has to be worn on the finger on which it came.
As a last resort, you can ask a jeweler for help so that he fits the product under the finger on which the girl is going to wear it.
The future groom should be on the safe side by choosing a jewelry design on such a condition that it will be easy to manipulate with it later. Jewelry salon consultants will advise which model is best for you. If the product has an ornate design, is inlaid with stones or consists of various gold alloys, then it will be almost impossible to change its size.
Whatever happens during the engagement, there is no need to look for bad omens. The ring did not fit on the finger - it doesn’t matter. You can always find the best solution for the jewel to shine on the bride's fingers.
Signs and superstitions
The wedding ceremony and everything that precedes it, including the engagement, is accompanied by numerous signs. Something has already been forgotten or not observed, turning into superstitions, which young people try not to attach importance to. However, there are signs that have become so ingrained that they have become full-fledged traditions. They are not neglected even by the most skeptical couples. Especially many beliefs are associated with rings.
As for the jewelry presented for the engagement, it should be hidden from envious eyes, so as not to bring trouble to your family happiness. A jewel should not be given to anyone, and even more so, tried on. The symbol of the future married life must be worn without removing until the wedding day.
If the bride-to-be loses the groom's gift, then this promises a dysfunctional family life or even a divorce. And vice versa. If nothing bad happened to the ring, it was not scratched, spoiled or deformed, then the couple will have an easy and happy life together.
In some families, engagement rings are passed from mother to son. This is a wonderful tradition. If families lived happily, then the older and richer the decoration, the more happiness it will bring to future generations. Its positive energy will only multiply. However, if the groom's parents are unhappy in marriage or divorced, then such a gift should not be given to your beloved.
You can find out how to wear rings correctly from the video below:
How to choose a decoration?
The question of which finger it is customary to wear an engagement ring is asked not only by its owners. First of all, the future groom thinks about this. A young man needs to make a surprise for his darling, and even not get into a mess, having miscalculated with the size of the gift.
Especially inventive guys manage to find out the size of the finger of their future wife. This could be a casual question in a conversation. So that the girl probably does not suspect anything, you can ask her friend, mother or sister about it. Ideally, if the beloved has a lot of rings in the box. One of them in a jewelry store will be a real salvation, the main thing is that the girl does not suspect anything.
After the young man found out on which finger his bride will wear the engagement ring and found out the size of the product, he goes to the store. In a jewelry salon, a lot of jewelry will make your eyes run wild.
To make it easier to opt for a particular model, it is enough to adhere to a few simple tips.
- An engagement gift must be of precious metal (gold or platinum). If the beloved wears silver, then white gold jewelry will be an excellent alternative. Guys should remember that their gift will be a very important attribute in a woman's life. It is not worth saving on it. The jewel will remain in the family as a relic.
- Before choosing a particular design, you need to remember what accessories the future spouse prefers. If she is a supporter of the classics or does not wear jewelry at all, then it is enough to choose a classic product with a small pebble. If the bride-to-be prefers unusual accessories, then the gift can be chosen in the appropriate style.
- Gems on a piece are desirable but not required. With them, the engagement gift looks more solemn. However, there are no clear rules on this score. It can be a diamond or a colored gem. A thin ring with a neat pebble will look more beautiful on the fingers of a young girl. For older women, products with more massive inserts are suitable.
What to do with a jewel when a relationship ends?
Unfortunately, there are cases when the engaged couple decides to leave. Then the young people face the question of what to do with expensive jewelry.
If the initiative to leave was on the part of the girl, then the failed groom has the right to pick up his gift. If the breakup was initiated by a man, then a girl with a calm soul can leave the jewel with her. Everyone decides what to do next with the jewelry.
When a young married couple has lived in a legal family relationship for a short time, after the dissolution of the marriage, the woman is obliged to return the engagement gift. Thus, she makes it clear about the break of the once taken obligations. In this case, the wedding rings remain with their owners.
In the event of the death of her chosen one, the woman continues to wear an engagement ring as a sign of mourning, putting it on the opposite hand. The decoration can be removed when the next groom appears in her life.