Almost everyone wears rings, but where does the tradition come from?

The tradition of wearing rings really became popular in Europe during the Middle Ages when rings were made of gold, silver or copper, which also served to show what social class the person wearing the ring belonged to. The rarer and more precious the material, the taller the person wearing the ring. In the late 1300s, the practice of adding faceted gemstones was integrated into ring making.

Wedding rings are one of the most widely used of all rings and have an interesting history behind their beginning. According to Irish tradition, a fisherman named Richard Joyce from the Irish fishing village of Claddagh was caught and taken prisoner the same week that he was to marry his girlfriend. While enslaved, Richard was taught the goldsmith’s trade and while enslaved neither he nor his wife were married and he made a ring to show his love and devotion that featured a heart to represent love, for loyalty a crown, and then two indicate their friendship, two joined hands.

Richard Joyce escaped from the place where he had been enslaved and returned to his village where he found his beloved waiting, because he had never married another. She said that she had known in her heart all the time that he would return, he was very happy and quickly gave him the ring that he made, which is now called the Claddagh ring. The ring has important symbolism and must be worn correctly. Worn in the right hand with the crown towards the wrist it means that the person is single. If the crown is turned outward, it means that the person is engaged or in a committed relationship. A Claddagh ring on the left hand with the crown pointing outward signifies marriage. According to the original custom, it says: “May our love and friendship reign forever, may they never part.” If you want to show your partner how romantic you are, you can consider buying Claddagh rings and telling them the story.

The wearing of rings is also used to show achievement in certain endeavors, such as class rings to graduate from high school or college or to win a certain sporting event, such as the Super Bowl or the NCAA championship. Of course, rings are also simply used as decoration without any meaning to many people, but to many people the rings they wear mean something. For example, some parents may wear rings with their children’s birthstones. One thing is for sure: rings are more popular than ever.