In the United States, the jewelry industry for retail is approximately a $71.3 billion dollar industry. It is impossible to determine how much of that is in ring sales alone, but ring sales are certainly climbing.

Women today aren’t looking for gems the same way they used to. Today, women are expanding the market for significant rings that are causing an uprise in right hand rings.

Why is this happening? It goes back some time.

Let’s explore the significance and meaning of right hand rings today.

What Are the Right Hand Rings?

Everybody knows what the fourth finger on the left hand is for, engagement rings. But right-hand rings have a place and meaning in society as well.

Right hand rings go on the same fourth finger of your hand and are as important as you want them to be. They can be for getting a promotion, opening your own business, or just hitting 40!

What do you want your right-hand rings to be? They can be anything you want.

Look at these silver rings for women and let your imagination go wild.

Dress and Cocktail Rings

In the 1920s, right hand rings were called cocktail rings. The symbolism was light but honored women that were drinking during Prohibition.

Finally, women didn’t have to wear dresses and they could sneak away to a speakeasy after work where they would be naughty and smoke and drink. With the men!

Gone were the days of dress and cocktail rings as women fought for more freedom. When they showed up at the speakeasy after work with right-hand rings, they were telling the world they were independent women and could make it on their own.

Raise Your Right Hand

As time went on, right hand rings continued to be a symbol of independence. Elizabeth Taylor became famous for them.

In 2003 DeBeers did a gem campaign called “Raise Your Right Hand” to encourage women to carry on this tradition of independence.

Legacy Rings

By the mid-20th century, right hand rings became known as legacy rings. Women would give their daughters or granddaughters a ring from the lineage, or a new one to compare, and give a legacy ring to daughters in the family line.

The legacy ring would be given upon a milestone of female success, such as motherhood or getting a wonderful job.

Promise Rings

After legacy rings and independence rings to “raise your right hand,” right hand rings became popular as promise rings. Promise rings are rings that are the promise to marry, but the relationship isn’t quite there yet.

Because an engagement ring goes on the left hand, a promise ring would be a right hand ring.

Let Your Self Shine

When you want to shine, you deserve to treat yourself. And you don’t need to feel guilty about it since the gem market is expected to reach 645 billion dollars by 2035.

Today’s woman is doing it with right hand rings. What is the significance?

You get to decide. Show off your independence and let your Self shine when you adorn right hand rings…because you can.