<P> Depending on culture, a wedding ring is typically worn on the base of the left or right ring finger . Many spouses wear their wedding rings day and night, causing an indentation in the skin that is visible even when the ring is removed . Another indication of their cultural importance is that wedding rings are among the few items that prison inmates and visitors are permitted to wear . </P> <P> It is commonly believed that the first examples of wedding rings were found in ancient Egypt . Relics dating to 6,000 years ago, including papyrus scrolls, are evidence of the exchange of braided rings of hemp or reeds between spouses . Ancient Egypt considered the circle to be a symbol of eternity, and the ring served to signify the perpetual love of the spouses . This was also the origin of the custom of wearing the wedding ring on the ring finger of the left hand, because the ancient Egyptians believed that this finger enclosed a special vein that was connected directly to the heart, denominated in Latin the "Vena amoris". </P> <P> The Western traditions of wedding rings can be traced to ancient Rome and Greece, and were first associated with the marital dowry and later with a promise of fidelity . The modern exchange of rings derived from the customs of Europe in the Middle Ages as part of Christendom . In the United States, wedding rings were initially only worn by wives, but became customary for both husbands and wives during the 20th century . </P> <P> During the 16th and 17th centuries, European husbands bestowed a gimmel ring upon their wives . Similar to the puzzle ring, the gimmel ring consisted of two interlocking bands . The bride and groom both wore one of these bands after their engagement, and the two bands were reunited during the wedding ceremony . Subsequently, the wife wore the combined ring . </P>

When did man first start wearing wedding rings