So This Is Why Engagement Rings Are Worn On The Left Hand

Aha. Engagement rings are traditionally worn on the left hand and up until now, we've never really questioned it. However, our Entertainment Editor, Laura, recently got engaged and that sparked a lot of wedding conversation in the Her.ie office. Spotted on Cosmopolitan, the custom of wearing engagement rings on the left hand is said to date back to an ancient Roman belief. Directly translated, Vena Amoris means 'vein of love' and the idea was that wearing a ring given to you by your betrothed on your left hand meant a direct connection to the heart. Cheesy? Yes. Soppy? Yes. Do we love it? Yes. Another interesting tidbit we came across is the fact that diamonds only became popular for engagement rings after jewellery giant DeBeers launched a major ad campaign in the 1940s. Up until that point, it was mainly aristocracy who donned the sparkling stones and it all changed when a copywriter created the slogan 'A Diamond Is Forever' For DeBeers. This reinforced the idea that the precious stone could be handed down as family heirlooms from generation to generation and from then on, diamonds became the ring of choice when popping the question.