The practice of wearing an engagement ring on the ring finger of the left hand is something which came from the Romans. However it is worth considering that apart from the inaccurate view that this was because the vein from it went straight to the heart, there are certain practicalities of this digit, for engagement and wedding rings. Key, that it is the most flattering!
1. You have 4 very distinct fingers
If you evaluate your hands, you can see that of the four fingers, it is really only the ring finger and middle finger which have a ‘waist’ shape to them. Dependent on the knuckle size, they taper in slightly, flattering for ring wearers. Your index finger is less tapered, which is why wearing rings on it, or the pinky can make them look short and stocky.
2. The hand you write with is always going to be a little bigger than its opposite number.
There is a very simple reason for this, the muscles in the hand you write with are used more than your other hand. So unless you are ambidextrous, you’ll find that some rings may be too tight on one hand, but just right on the other.
3. Your fingers can change shape from dawn till dusk.
For some, fingers are prone to being slightly more swollen at different times of the day. This may include first thing when you wake up, as your hands have been resting all night, and fluids may have settled in them. Or after exercise.
4. Hands are as different as faces
We don’t look at hands as much as faces, however when you do, you will discover that they are very different and don’t always play the way they are expected to. Wearing the wrong style of ring can dramatically over lengthen or shorten the finger appearance, and make slim hands look fatter, or round fingers look squarer.
Have a look at our article on hand shapes, to investigate more.