Believe it or not, what finger you wear your rings on can say a lot about you. Each finger has a purpose and while we encourage our customers to wear their rings on whichever finger they want (or on all of their fingers). We want to share with you some of those meanings so that you can decide for yourself if there is something about you that you want the world to know.
Let’s start with the pinky ring. Maybe you’ve noticed the pinky rings of high profile celebrities or royalty. Or maybe you’ve even seen them in movies. The pinky ring has a storied history and depending on who you ask, the meaning can be just as varied. According to LovetoKnow.com, the left pinky ring has been synonymous with marital status and ties to the mafia. Although these meanings aren’t so much the case anymore, wearing a pinky ring can tell others that you are married.
For example, Prince Charles of the British Monarchy has paired his family’s signet ring, which he wears on his left pinky finger, with a Welsh gold band. This tells the world that not only is he married, but that he is also a member of the British royal family.
The left ring finger is commonly known as the wedding ring finger, at least in the U.S., in other parts of the world, the right ring finger is considered the wedding ring finger (but we’ll get to that). Usually, when a person has a ring on this finger, it is understood that they are partnered with someone, be it through marriage or simply through commitment.
The left middle finger doesn’t have a formal meaning, but many of our clients use this finger to wear statement pieces. The middle finger is the perfect mid-way point on the hand and can serve as a good ring finger to wear a larger ring that would otherwise not work on any of the other fingers. The same can be said for the index finger. Usually, this finger is reserved for a ring that you want everyone to see. Much like a statement piece, wearing a ring on your index finger tends to denote power.
Ever wonder what a thumb ring means? Us too. We haven’t been able to find a meaning for why people wear rings on their thumbs, but what we do know is that many people enjoy wearing spinner rings on this finger to help sooth social anxiety and worry.
Now we move over to the right hand.
The right hand pinky ring can mean some of the things we mentioned about the left hand pinky ring. However, the most common use of the right hand pinky ring is used to symbolize professional associations. For example, engineers tend to wear a silver band on the pinky finger of their dominant hand. Most people report being right-hand dominant, so it's likely that if you see someone sporting a silver ring on their right pinky ring, they are most likely an engineer.
As mentioned above, the right hand ring finger can also mean commitment or marriage. For instance, in many Eastern cultures, including Russia, Poland, and Bulgaria, it is common to wear your wedding ring on this finger, many Scandinavian countries also follow a similar practice, along with Spain and Greece.
Much like the left hand, there aren’t any specific meanings tied to the right hand middle finger. However we did find a Jewish tradition that calls for the groom to place the wedding ring on the bride’s right hand index finger. Then followed by the breaking of the glass, the bride is free to put it on her ring finger.
Many of the meanings we mentioned for the left hand middle and index fingers can be applied to the right hand. The same goes for the thumb.
All in all, it’s your choice about what finger you wear your rings on. But, it’s always good to know what the most common meanings are.