# Is there meanings to rings on particular fingers other than wedding/engagement? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 16, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980 "2005-01-16T04:34:17Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 4:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/1 "2005-01-16T04:34:17Z")
The thread on rings made of meteor iron got me thinking about getting a ring. But beyond the 4th finger on the left hand being for wedding or engagement rings, I realize I don’t know if there are meanings to rings on the other 9 fingers. I just want a ring that means nothing. Do rings on any of the other fingers mean anything? I’m in the USA, if there are country differences that matter. ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/2 "2005-01-16T04:39:10Z")
I apologize for the horrific grammar of the thread title. And the writing of the post is pretty bad too. I must admit I’ve had a drink or two. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/3 "2005-01-16T05:07:48Z")
I know there’s a symbolism to pinky rings, but I’m not aware what it is. Young people wear a ring on the ring finger of the right hand to symbolize commitment that isn’t formal engagement – what we back in the day called “going steady,” though there’s more modern terminology in use now. AFAIK there’s no special symbolism for the other three fingers of eithr hand. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 6:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/4 "2005-01-16T06:20:43Z")
I dont know any others in america, but my german friend explained things interestingly for germans - engagement rings, ring finger, left hand - both sexes, he got one that matched his fiance’s ring. When they got married, she moved her engagement ring to her right hand with the wedding ring, and he only wore his wedding ring, also ring finger right hand. He put his engagement ring in his jewelry box. I guess it will just gather dust forever? ---
**Author:** ![SavageNarce](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@SavageNarce](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SavageNarce)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/5 "2005-01-16T15:15:57Z")
Different societies have different traditions, as per the German instance noted above. I have heard that, in Europe, the ring finger of either hand can be used, depending on local tradition. In Canada, the “iron” ring on the little finger of the working hand denotes an Engineer. I was once told that dieticians used a gold ring in a similar way, but have been unable to confirm that. Forestry graduates have a silver ring with a tree or a leaf on it, for the working-hand pinky. DeBeers, ever vigilant for an opportunity to sell more diamonds, is pushing right-hand diamond rings to identify the “liberated” woman. Whether this means liberated as in free-thinking, or liberated as in newly-divorced, I don’t know, and DeBeers probably doesn’t really care. :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/6 "2005-01-16T16:30:24Z")
There used to be a loose stereotype of pinky ring=gay but that’s gone very much by the wayside. Some gay couples I’ve known have worn commitment rings on the ring fingers of their right hands but I think that’s fairly uncommon now as well. ---
**Author:** ![Khadaji](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Khadaji](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Khadaji)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/7 "2005-01-16T19:30:19Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > There used to be a loose stereotype of pinky ring=gay but that’s gone very much by the wayside. Some gay couples I’ve known have worn commitment rings on the ring fingers of their right hands but I think that’s fairly uncommon now as well. I have never heard that. Where I grew up, a pinky ring was associated with being in the mafia and it implied that you were “made.” ---
**Author:** ![Revtim](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/revtim/32/1042_2.png) [@Revtim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Revtim)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/8 "2005-01-16T20:20:41Z")
Thanks all. Right now I’m leaning towards putting a ring on the middle finger of my right hand. ---
**Author:** ![TeaElle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8491ac/32.png) [@TeaElle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TeaElle)\ **Post date:** [January 16, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/9 "2005-01-16T20:22:26Z")
> [@Otto](#): > > There used to be a loose stereotype of pinky ring=gay but that’s gone very much by the wayside. There was a similar loose stereotype of thumb rings on a woman signifying that she was a lesbian, I don’t know how prevalent that is/was or how well known it still may be. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/10 "2005-01-17T17:30:04Z")
There was also a stereotype that a diamond pinky ring denoted a mobster. If it was ever true, I think the fashion rules for mobsters have changed. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2005, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-meanings-to-rings-on-particular-fingers-other-than-wedding-engagement/284980/11 "2005-01-17T17:56:29Z")
Wearing your wedding band on the “opposite” hand used to mean you were a widow/widower. I don’t think that is still true today.