Each finger holds a special significance and the wearing of rings is steeped in tradition.
The early interest in hand and finger symbolism is evident in folklore. During Medieval times, people believed that kings had the power to heal by touch. Strangely, it was also believed that a person could gain healing powers if he cut off the hand of an executed criminal while the body hung in the gallows.
According to old wives tales, a person’s hand and fingers can reveal personality traits. These tales included:
Palmistry, the practice of reading the lines in a person’s hands to determine character and fortune, associates the hands and fingers with attributes of the Greek gods and Chinese yin and yang. Whether a person is right-handed or left-handed determines which hand is yin or yang. The active hand is always yin and the receptive hand is yang. For example, if a person is right-handed, his left hand is the receptive yin and the right hand is the active yang. So what is the meaning of each finger for rings? Here are the common metaphysical properties of fingers and complimentary gemstones:
Today people wear rings on any finger they choose. Yet the left ring finger remains the most common place for a wedding ring. Learning about finger symbolism and historic ring customs may influence some shoppers to make more informed ring choices. It might appeal to those who wear rings for spiritual purposes or self-expression. However, the average person will probably still put her favorite ring on which ever finger it fits.