Today the wedding ring is usually given as part of the wedding ceremony to act as a symbol of the binding commitment a husband and wife make to each other.
Some of the oldest records of wedding rings date back to Egypt some 4900 years ago and the circle of metal was said to represent eternal love. However, it was only traditionally worn by the wife.
In Roman times the wedding band was made out of iron and was said to represent strength. Today in many countries the majority of married men also wear a wedding band to demonstrate their fidelity and commitment.
Whilst in the UK and America we always wear wedding rings on our left hand, in many countries around the world such as Argentina, Germany, Norway, Russia and Poland the ring is worn on the right hand.
In some European countries, the engagement ring is used as the wedding ring. Its upgraded status to wedding ring is signified by the changing of the hand on which it is worn and often by engraving a message on the inside of the shank.
