One might be tempted to think that the meaning behind men's ring placement is as uncomplicated as the original wedding band. And while a ring placed on the "ring" finger of the left hand is the most widely recognised symbolic placement, there are other meanings for men's rings, depending on which finger they adorn, and their orientation on the hand.
One of the most predominant and involved examples of this is the Claddagh ring. A original emblem of love among the Irish, this band features a pair of hands retention a heart, with a crown resting on the top. When worn on the right hand with the heart facing out towards the world, it shows a person's open heart and availability to find love. When worn with the heart pointed towards their own heart, it symbolizes how their love has already been captured by another. When worn on the left hand, an outward heart shows their betrothal to another; an inward heart means they are married.
Wedding bands are a more generally known example. Worn on the left hand in modern Western culture, they belong on the "ring finger". Traditionally, no other ring (other than an engagement ring) should be worn on that finger. The left hand was believed to have the "vein of love" running along its ring finger, linked directly to the heart. Thus, a ring on that finger was as close to the wearer's heart at possible.
Pinkie rings have the unique position of being somewhat without a cultural or historical background. There are two examples of variations, however: The Engineer's Ring or Iron Ring is worn by many Canadian expert engineers, and each one is said to be made from a piece of the poorly-engineered Quebec Bridge that collapsed in the early 1900's; the other is the Signet ring, which in times past was used to generate a stamp or seal, which was used instead of a signature on a document.
Another placement of meaning is not a finger at all. Thumb ring can be a emblem of your sexuality, a fashion statement, or for archery. In some circles, a thumb ring on the right hand indicates a gay or lesbian lifestyle. In other circles, of course, sometimes a thumb ring is just a thumb ring - worn there because the piece of jewellery in quiz, was simply too large to be worn on any quarterly finger, or as a fashion statement. And for some who institution the art of archery, a thumb ring is a tool in a distinct style of bow drawing, meant to safe the flesh of the thumb.
In the end, it pays to know what sort of men's ring you are wearing, and while you should be known of what finger you wear it on, do not allow these rules to rule your life. A ring is a possession, and as such, you define it - not the other way around.
