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The idea of sharing your sexual orientation with the world was once a terrifying ordeal, and so thumb rings can signify the boldness of sharing your truth with those around you. Thanks to their ties to the LGBTQ community, thumb rings can also signify independence, personal strength, and individuality. Thumb rings were a way to preserve a memory of the marriage while making room for another wedding band if she were to remarry. Historically, thumb rings were sometimes worn by widows as a symbol of love and devotion to their deceased husbands. Many cultures originally wore thumb rings to ward off evil spirits or illness, and the bands were a form of both spiritual and physical protection.
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Some even choose to wear thumb rings due to cultural tradition. Thumb rings can have many different meanings to both wearers and observers. Homosexual men and women wore thumb rings to indicate their sexuality, and the band would be worn on the left hand if they were taken and on the right hand if they were single. Additionally, noblewomen enjoyed wearing thumb rings to further display their wealth in public.įinally, as recently as the 1990’s, thumb rings also served a purpose in the LGBTQ community. In the 16 th century England, medical professionals wore thumb rings to signify their occupation. These rings were typically made of jade or glass, and the largest and most ornate rings became symbols of class among men. In China, military men often wore thumb rings to denote their rank. Each one serves a unique purpose, and they signify different things among varying cultures. Since then, humans have crafted thumb rings from various materials, such as bone, jade, horn, stone, ceramic, glass, wood, and precious metals. The first thumb rings were most likely made of leather, and they were used by archers to protect their thumbs as they shot arrows. Leather archery thumb rings, or “thumb draws”, eventually became metal designs over time, which offered more protection. Thumb rings appear in various instances throughout human history, but their earliest recorded use dates back to Asia in the Neolithic Period. The rich history of these bands makes this shift even more significant, and women wearing them can be seen as a subtle call to equality. While traditionally worn by men, thumb rings have become particularly en vogue with women in the last few decades.