Which Hand Does an Engagement Ring Go On?

In the UK, the engagement ring is traditionally worn on the fourth finger of the left hand, the ring finger, and the wedding ring joins it there after the ceremony.

The best-known explanation is an ancient belief that a vein ran directly from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart, the vena amoris, or vein of love. Anatomy does not support it, but the idea has lasted for centuries, and it is still the most romantic reason anyone has given for a custom.

Customs vary more than most people expect. In several countries, including Germany, Poland, Russia and Norway, wedding rings are traditionally worn on the right hand. In India, traditions vary by region and community.

Brazil, where the story of Bairro Jabour began, has a custom we love. Engaged couples often both wear a plain band, the aliança, on the right hand. At the wedding, the same band moves to the left hand. One ring tells the whole story: promised, then married.

So that the wedding ring can go on first, closest to the hand, many people move the engagement ring to the right hand before the ceremony. Afterwards it goes back on the left, above the wedding ring.

Some people wear their engagement ring on the right hand for comfort, for work, because they are left-handed, or simply because they prefer it. Tradition is a lovely thing to follow, and an easy thing to set aside.