What the patterns on wedding rings mean

Do wedding ring patterns have a meaning?

Some carry a meaning that is centuries old, some a meaning that is quite new and some none at all beyond looking good. All three are fine reasons to choose one. What matters is that you know which you are buying, because a story told about a pattern in a shop is not always the story history tells.

The patterns below are the ones we cut. For each we give what is known about it and what it is usually taken to mean now.

What does the tree of life mean on a ring?

It is one of the oldest and most widespread images there is. The tree of life grows in Eden in Genesis, the world tree Yggdrasil holds up the Norse cosmos and sacred trees were carved in Assyria, though scholars still disagree about what those meant. It is most often linked with eternal life and fruitfulness. In some traditions it also stands for the connection between worlds.

On a wedding ring it is a picture rather than a statement, which is its strength. Couples bring their own reading to it: roots, growth, a family still to come.

Tree of life, titanium: Trees of life engraved around a flat titanium band.

What does the Greek key pattern mean?

The Greek key, or meander, is a single continuous line folded into right angles. Its proper name comes from the Maeander, a winding river in what is now Turkey. It runs along Greek pottery from the Geometric period more than 2,700 years ago and along temple friezes after that. The oldest meander yet found is far older still: it comes from Mezin in Ukraine and dates from the Palaeolithic.

Meanings such as unity or eternity are often given to it now, but they are popular rather than recorded. What is certain is the thing that makes it work on a ring: the line never breaks.

Greek key, anodised: The meander cut around the band and coloured.

Greek key, gold: A 3mm gold band with the key engraved unbroken the whole way round.

What does an infinity ring mean?

Love without end, which is a modern meaning for an old shape. The sideways eight was given its meaning of infinity by the mathematician John Wallis in 1655, who never explained why he chose it. Its life as a symbol of lasting love came much later and owes nothing to mathematics, which is no reason to like it less.

Infinity, anodised: Two lines loop and cross around the band in colour.

What does a heartbeat ring mean?

Exactly what it looks like: the trace a heart monitor draws, run around the band. It is the most literal pattern here and the easiest to explain to anyone who asks. Some couples like it precisely because it needs no history: it says a heart beats for someone.

Heartbeat, titanium: A single heartbeat line around a flat titanium band.

What does a Morse code ring say?

Whatever you choose. Morse code spells letters in dots and dashes, so a Morse ring is really an engraving on the outside that only reads as words to someone who knows the code. LOVE is .-.. --- ...- . in Morse, four short groups that read as a pattern to everyone else.

We cut Morse code two ways: your own words in titanium, or the word LOVE beside a line of 9ct white gold. If you like the idea of a private message in plain sight, the Morse ring is the outside equivalent of an engraving inside the band.

Morse code, titanium: Your words in dots and dashes, cut into titanium.

Inside or outside engraving?: What goes where and what each costs in wear.

What does a koi ring mean?

In Japan the koi is a symbol of luck, prosperity and good fortune. It also stands for perseverance in the face of adversity. It is also linked with love, because the Japanese word for the fish sounds like the word for love. In Chinese tradition the carp stands for abundance and strength, with a mythical power to become a dragon.

Ornamental koi are younger than their legends: they were first bred in Niigata, in Japan, in the early nineteenth century. Ours is the most pictorial ring we make, two fish swimming the whole way round the band so they meet at the back of the hand.

What does cherry blossom mean on a ring?

In Japan cherry blossom has long stood for the beauty of things that do not last: it blooms all at once and is gone within a week or two. It also marks the start of spring and the parties held under the trees to watch it.

That is a thoughtful meaning to wear on a wedding ring, if not an obvious one: some couples take it as a reminder to value the time they have. Others choose it simply because it is lovely. Ours is engraved in dark detail against brushed titanium.

What do runes on a ring mean?

Runes are letters. They are the alphabets of the early Germanic peoples, in use from at least AD 150; the oldest, the Elder Futhark, has 24 of them. They mainly stood for sounds, so a rune ring spells something, exactly as an ogham ring does.

The idea of runes as magic or fortune telling is mostly modern: there is no direct evidence that they were ever used for divination. Our runes ring can carry your own words or a date in runes rather than the alphabet, so only the two of you will read it.

How do you choose a patterned wedding ring?

Choose the pattern you would still like with the meaning taken away, then let the meaning be the bonus. A ring is worn every day for decades. A design that only works because of its story can start to feel like a costume.

Then think about width. Pictorial patterns such as koi, cherry blossom and the tree of life need room: several are made only from 5mm or 6mm. Geometric patterns such as the Greek key and Morse code hold their shape at narrower widths. The try-on shows any ring on a photo of your own hand before you order.

Celtic wedding rings: What the knotwork means, the trinity knot and ogham.

See a ring on your hand before you buy: The free try-on and three other ways to check.