Men wearing wedding rings is a younger tradition than most people think. The ring itself as a symbol of marriage dates back thousands of years, but throughout most of this history it was primarily the woman who wore it. The man with his own wedding ring only became a widespread custom during the 20th century, and truly so after the Second World War. Today, in Denmark it is completely normal for both parties to wear a ring.

Below we go through how the tradition arose, why it changed precisely in the middle of the last century, and what the custom looks like today.

The ring as a symbol of marriage before men began wearing it

The ring as a sign of a marriage has roots far back in antiquity. In ancient Egypt and later in the Roman Empire, a circle of metal was used as a symbol of a bond without end, and in Roman custom the bride wore a ring as a sign of the agreement between two families. Common to most of the older history, however, is that it was the woman who received and wore the ring. The man gave the ring but rarely wore one himself.

This asymmetry persisted through the Middle Ages and on into more recent times. The ring served as a visible sign that the woman was married, while the man had no corresponding piece of jewellery. The idea that both parties wear an identical ring is therefore not an old, unbroken tradition, but something that came about much later.

Why did men begin wearing wedding rings in the 20th century?

The great change happened in the first half of the 20th century. Here, the idea that marriage is a mutual relationship between two equal parties began to gain wider acceptance in society. When the bond went both ways, it made sense that the symbol did too. The wedding ring increasingly became something both wore, not only the woman.

At the same time, wars played a concrete role. When many men in the first half of the century were sent far from home for extended periods, the ring became a tangible reminder of the spouse back home. Wearing a small piece of metal that connected one to the family took on a very practical emotional significance during absence.

After the Second World War the custom had truly become common in the Western world. What began as something new and unusual had, within a few decades, become expected: that both bride and groom have a ring on their finger after the wedding.

The difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring

When the history of men's wedding rings causes confusion, it is often because the engagement ring and the wedding ring are mixed up. They are two different rings, each with its own function. The engagement ring is given at the proposal and marks the agreement to marry. The wedding ring, by contrast, is exchanged during the wedding ceremony itself and marks that the marriage has now been entered into.

Historically, it was especially the engagement ring with a stone that was reserved for the woman, while the wedding ring was typically a simpler ring in metal. Today it has become more and more common to choose two rings - one engagement ring and one wedding ring - and this also applies to men who wish to mark both steps. If you are unsure what distinguishes them, you can read more in the article about the difference between an engagement ring and a wedding ring.

Which hand and finger does the wedding ring sit on?

The placement of the wedding ring still follows a fixed custom, and it is the same for men and women. In Denmark the wedding ring is traditionally worn on the ring finger of the right hand. This differs from a number of other countries where the ring sits on the left hand, and it is one of the reasons the question often comes up.

The reason for the ring finger in particular reaches far back and is connected with old beliefs about a link between this finger and the heart. Although that explanation today is mostly a story, the placement has remained a fixed custom. If you want to delve deeper into the subject, there is an article about which hand the wedding ring should sit on.

For men who wear both an engagement ring and a wedding ring, they typically sit on the same finger. The order and the exact placement are in practice determined by what feels right, and there is no single fixed rule everyone follows.

What men's wedding rings look like today

Men's wedding rings are more varied today than before. The classic model is a simple, smooth ring without stones, often in 14K gold or 14K white gold, and it still holds up as one of the most common choices. At the same time, more men are choosing rings with more character, where the width of the band and the surface give the ring a more distinct expression.

A ring with a wider, striking band is an obvious choice for someone who wants a ring that takes up a little more space on the hand. Among Longvé's wider models there is, among others, a bold statement ribbed ring with a textured surface. If, on the other hand, you want discreet stones set into the band itself rather than a single centre stone, many go for an eternity ring or a half eternity ring, where small diamonds sit either all the way around or on the upper part of the band, respectively.

The choice of material often follows the couple's other wishes. Gold and white gold are the recurring metals, and many couples choose to match their rings so that the two rings speak to each other in metal and expression. Longvé carries both gold and white gold across the rings.

How many carats of gold do you choose for a wedding ring?

When it comes to the metal, 14K gold is a common standard for wedding rings. The designation 14K refers to the purity of the gold - how large a proportion of the ring is pure gold - and a lower carat value means a harder and more resistant metal than completely pure gold, which is soft. For a ring that is to be worn daily for many years, this is a practical advantage.

Note the difference between the two spellings: the purity of gold is measured in karat with a k, while a diamond's weight is measured in carat with a c. It is easy to confuse, because both words are used about jewellery. When choosing between gold and white gold, it is mostly about colour and what the ring should match - not about durability, since both are based on the same base metal. You can read more about what white gold is if you are considering the lighter variant.

Do you want a diamond in the man's wedding ring?

Traditionally, men's wedding rings have been without stones, but that is no longer a fixed rule. Some choose a single small diamond set discreetly in the ring, others a plain metal ring without stones. Both are equally right, and the choice depends on how much the ring should stand out.

If you choose a ring with a stone, Longvé carries both lab-grown and natural diamonds, and the same design is often available in both variants. A lab-grown diamond is made in a laboratory and has the same physical and optical properties as a natural diamond - you cannot tell the difference between lab-grown and natural diamonds with the naked eye. If you want to see the selection, you can look at Longvé's lab-grown diamonds, and there is an article about what lab-grown diamonds are for anyone who wants to understand the process behind them.