
A pinky ring is any
ring
(The) Ring(s) may refer to:
* Ring (jewellery), a round band, usually made of metal, worn as ornamental jewelry
* To make a sound with a bell, and the sound made by a bell
Arts, entertainment, and media Film and TV
* ''The Ring'' (franchise), a ...
worn on the pinky, or
little finger
The little finger or pinkie, also known as the baby finger, fifth digit, or pinky finger, is the most ulnar and smallest digit of the human hand, and next to the ring finger.
Etymology
The word "pinkie" is derived from the Dutch word ''pink' ...
, of either hand. A pinky ring may have special significance conferred by the wearer's office or professional association, but may also may be worn purely for fashion.
Signet rings, which hold their own meaning, are often worn on the pinky.
Professional rings
A variety of pinky rings are awarded to graduating engineering students in North America, generally intended to serve as a reminder of the significance and impact of their chosen profession. In Canada, these include the
Iron Ring
The Iron Ring is a ring worn by many Canadian engineers as a symbol and reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with their profession. The ring is presented in a private ceremony known as the Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer. , made of either crudely worked iron or stainless steel and worn on the dominant hand, presented to engineering students during the
Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer
The Ritual of the Calling of an Engineer () is a private ritual, authored by Rudyard Kipling, in which students about to graduate from an engineering program at a university in Canada are permitted to participate. Participation may also be per ...
,
[ and the silver, but otherwise similar, Earth Ring associated with the geologists and geophysicists of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta.][ In the United States, the ]Engineer's Ring
The Engineer's Ring is a ring worn by members of the Order of the Engineer, an American Fellow#Learned or professional societies, fellowship of engineers who must be a certified Regulation and licensure in engineering, Professional Engineer or gr ...
, awarded by the Order of the Engineer
The Order of the Engineer is an association for graduate and professional engineers in the United States that emphasizes pride and responsibility in the engineering profession. It was inspired by the success of the Ritual of the Calling of an E ...
, is similar to the Canadian Iron Ring.[
In Canada, students who graduate in good standing from accredited forestry programs traditionally receive a silver ring from the Canadian Institute of Forestry.
Human ecology and home economics graduates also receive a pinky ring symbolizing their profession. The Human Ecology Ring was first instigated by a group of young graduates at ]Macdonald College
The Macdonald Campus of McGill University (commonly referred to as the 'Mac Campus' or simply 'Mac') houses McGill's Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (FAES), which includes the Institute of Parasitology, the School of Human Nutri ...
, Quebec, in 1968.
Indications of affiliation or conveying messages
At times, pinky rings have been worn with the intent to convey a message or indicate affiliation. During the Victorian era
In the history of the United Kingdom and the British Empire, the Victorian era was the reign of Queen Victoria, from 20 June 1837 until her death on 22 January 1901. Slightly different definitions are sometimes used. The era followed the ...
, both single men and women uninterested in pursuing marriage could wear a ring on the little finger of their left hand.[
Especially in the United States, pinky rings also developed an association with criminal activity.] Grifters were thought to wear such rings, sometimes to provide their associates with a source of funding for their funeral expenses in case of their death, as were made men
In the Sicilian and American Mafia, a made man is a fully initiated member of the Mafia. In order to become eligible to be "made", an associate must fulfill several requirements, such as being Italian or of Italian descent and sponsored by a ...
in the American Mafia
The American Mafia, commonly referred to in North America as the Italian-American Mafia, the Mafia, or the Mob, is a highly organized Italian-American criminal society and organized crime group. The terms Italian Mafia and Italian Mob apply to ...
. Movies such as '' Little Caesar'' and ''The Godfather
''The Godfather'' is a 1972 American Epic film, epic crime film directed by Francis Ford Coppola, who co-wrote the screenplay with Mario Puzo, based on Puzo's best-selling The Godfather (novel), 1969 novel. The film stars an ensemble cast inc ...
'' contributed to the association of this style of jewellery with organized crime.
Fashion
The more modern use of the pinky ring has weakened its traditional historic symbolism.[ In the early 20th century, these rings were popular in Parisian fashion,][ especially among the youth.][ In the United States, such rings have become a "fundamental of American style", in some way due to its symbolic past.][
]
Signet and wedding rings
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus (AD 23/24 79), known in English as Pliny the Elder ( ), was a Roman Empire, Roman author, Natural history, naturalist, and naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and a friend of the Roman emperor, emperor Vesp ...
noted, according to the 1938 Loeb Classical Library
The Loeb Classical Library (LCL; named after James Loeb; , ) is a monographic series of books originally published by Heinemann and since 1934 by Harvard University Press. It has bilingual editions of ancient Greek and Latin literature, ...
translation by Harris Rackham, "Some people put all their rings on their little finger only, while others wear only one ring even on that finger, and use it to seal up their signet ring, which is kept stored away as a rarity not deserving the insult of common use, and is brought out from its cabinet as from a sanctuary; thus even wearing a single ring on the little finger may advertise the possession of a costlier piece of apparatus put away in store."
Some British men wear a signet ring
A seal is a device for making an impression in Sealing wax, wax, clay, paper, or some other medium, including an Paper embossing, embossment on paper, and is also the impression thus made. The original purpose was to authenticate a document, or ...
on the little finger of the left hand, which is considered to be the correct place for it.
In common with many American families, in homage to the British tradition, President Franklin D. Roosevelt
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
wore a signet ring handed down to him by his father James, and which was inherited by FDR's son James Roosevelt
James Roosevelt II (December 23, 1907 – August 13, 1991) was an American businessman, Marine officer, activist, and Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party politician. The eldest son of President Franklin D. Roosevelt and Eleanor R ...
. All three generations wore the signet on top of their wedding bands, on their left pinkies.
FDR's pinky signet was noted and admired by Sir Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
(who wore his own gold signet on a different finger).
Wedding bands (always a gift from wife to husband) were usually worn by Western men in the Victorian age on the left hand pinky finger, although few British men wore wedding rings until World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
. Because of masculine limitations, men were encouraged to wear a second ring if they desired, but it was to be worn on top of the wedding band so as to keep both rings confined to one finger. It appears the custom for men to wear their two rings on the left pinky was purely British and German; in America, men either followed the British tradition or wore no ring at all until much later.
Use in the British Royal Family
The use of the left-hand pinky finger as the wedding ring and royal signet or initial ring of the British Royal Family
The British royal family comprises Charles III and other members of his family. There is no strict legal or formal definition of who is or is not a member, although the Royal Household has issued different lists outlining who is considere ...
is an ironclad tradition dating back to the sons of Queen Victoria
Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...
, who favored pinky rings in imitation of their mother as well as following German custom. Queen Victoria's son Prince Leopold wore many rings on his left pinky, as did all of the sons of King George V
George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936.
George was born during the reign of his pa ...
. King Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria and ...
did not assign any special significance to his left pinky as later generations did, and his son George V wore no rings at all. The best example of such a ring was the one worn by King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
. Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh
Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh (born Prince Philip of Greece and Denmark, later Philip Mountbatten; 10 June 19219 April 2021), was the husband of Queen Elizabeth II. As such, he was the consort of the British monarch from h ...
, consort to Queen Elizabeth II
Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary; 21 April 19268 September 2022) was Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 6 February 1952 until Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II, her death in 2022. ...
, wore his father's signet ring until sometime in the 1970s, when he ceased to wear any signet.
King Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms.
Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...
wears the official signet of the Prince of Wales
Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
. The ring is nearly 175 years old and was last worn by Edward VIII
Edward VIII (Edward Albert Christian George Andrew Patrick David; 23 June 1894 – 28 May 1972), later known as the Duke of Windsor, was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Empire, and Emperor of India, from 20 January ...
when he was Prince of Wales. King Charles III, as well as the other men in the family, wear their signets on top of their wedding bands.
References
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[{{cite journal , author=Rosenzweig I. , title=Ba-Da-Bing! Thumbs Up for the Pinkie Ring , journal=The New York Times , year=2000 , url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/23/style/view-ba-da-bing-thumbs-up-for-the-pinkie-ring.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm , accessdate=October 15, 2012]
[{{cite book , author=Siomopoulos A. , title=Hollywood Melodrama and the New Deal: Public Daydreams , publisher=Routledge , year=2012 , isbn=978-0415882934 , page=15]
Rings (jewellery)