Vena amoris

In ancient Egypt, the Sun and the Moon were powerful Gods which were feared and worshipped. A ring was a symbol of these spirits, while the open center was meant to be a doorway to things unknown. Engagement rings were placed on the fourth finger of the left hand because of the belief that it was here that a vein ran directly from the fingertip to the heart. This tradition was later assimilated by the Greeks, after Alexander the Great conquered Egypt in 332 B.C.. The vein then aquired the name vena amoris or in Latin, "the vein of love." At this time engagement rings were generally made out of hemp, leather, bone, or ivory. In early Rome the use of metal rings gradually began to take over these materials, and the metal of choice back then was iron. Gold and silver rings were given on rare occasions, to prove that a man trusted his wife with his valuable property.