Ring Styles and Traditions From Across the World
There is an amazing variation in the wedding tradition and ring styles across all cultures. We hope to show you the cultural significance and history of various ring styles and hopefully inspire you with these historical and cultural relics:
Italian Ring Styles:
In some parts of Italy the wedding ring is referred to as vera, a term that means fidelity. The custom is to carve the date of the wedding along with the groom’s name into the inside of the bride’s ring, and the date and the name of the bride into the underside of the groom’s ring.
Traditionally the Italians choose plain gold wedding bands, however in modern times this has changed to incorporate all sorts of unique customisations.
Jewish Wedding Rings:
Similar to the Italians, Jewish people traditionally give each other a plain gold wedding band. Although this is a tradition and is not the rule-of-thumb with many variations. The groom then recites the declaration of love, ‘Behold, you are consecrated to me with this ring according to the law of Moses and Israel’. The groom then puts the ring onto the right hand index finger of the bride.
Irish Ring Styles:
The Irish people have traditionally given the Claddagh ring as a symbol of friendship, love and marriage for thousands of years. This has its origins in the tiny village of Claddagh and came to prominence in the 1600’s, although the earliest derivatives of this design can be seen in ancient Roman times. The symbol has two hands clasping a heart and surrounded by a crown. The Claddagh is still commonly given as symbol of love and marriage in Ireland. When worn on the left-hand wedding ring finger, it denotes that the wearer is engaged.
Scottish Wedding Rings:
Some Scottish ring designs feature thistles, birds and other clan-specific details on them. Scottish wedding rings can vary, however traditional wedding jewellery includes a brooch called a Luckenbooth, a token of love. Normally this is made of silver with two hearts linked together. It is pinned to the baby blanket of the first born child for good luck.
Celtic knot designs are very common and still very popular in both Scotland and Ireland. Due to a cultural renaissance in recent decades, an inscription in Scots Gaelic or Irish Gaelic is becoming increasingly common for engagement rings in these countries.
Hawaiian Ring Styles:
Typically solid gold, they are intricately tooled to show the island’s landscape features as well as elements of traditional Hawaiian design. The tooled pattern features the native Plumeria flower, and other native flora and fauna, as well as personalised inscriptions.
Maori Wedding Ring Styles:
Common ring styles in New Zealand include those of solid gold, inlaid with the New Zealand mineral greenstone, which is considered sacred or tapu by the Maori people. Maori wedding rings often feature a row of diamonds and greenstone together. Often the greenstone is shaped in a swirling circular shaped known as the Koru, a symbol of eternity, spirituality and the connected nature of everything.
We hope you have found learning about ring styles, history and wedding traditions interesting. If you have any questions and want to find out where you can find these rings, please get in touch.
