How to Wear an Eternity Ring

Co-authored by wikiHow Staff

Last Updated: December 2, 2019

An eternity ring symbolizes deepening commitment and major milestones, such as a wedding anniversary or the birth of a child. Eternity rings have gemstones encircling a band all the way around, making them a beautiful, if somewhat cumbersome piece of jewelry. If you have been given one of these rings, symbolizing eternal love and commitment, you may be wondering how best to wear it. There are both traditional and more innovative ways to wear the rings and to make them work with your engagement and wedding rings.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Wearing an Eternity Ring Traditionally

1
Assess the size, shape, and metal of your eternity ring. Would its width or metal clash with your wedding band? Maybe it should be worn on a different finger if you feel that the shades of platinum and gold are too different. Does it have a dimple that would allow it to accommodate the diamond on your engagement ring? If so, it might look odd on a finger without your engagement ring.^{[1]
X
Research source}
2
Wear the eternity ring above your engagement ring and wedding band. The most traditional spot for the eternity ring is directly above the engagement ring, which is often worn above the wedding band on your left ring finger. In this arrangement, the engagement ring is in the middle of the stack.^{[2]
X
Research source}
- Symbolically, some say this arrangement allows the engagement ring to appear “locked in.”^{[3]
  X
  Research source}
Advertisement
3
Make sure the ring is gem-side up if it’s a half-eternity ring. To avoid weighing down a ring too much, many manufacturers offer eternity bands that only have stones on the back, or upward facing, half. If you have this style of ring, check that the gems are not on the same side as your palm.^{[4]
X
Research source}
- Half eternity rings are easier to resize than full eternity rings, which can be impossible or nearly impossible to resize. This allows you to have more flexibility in the finger you choose to wear it on.
- One reason to turn the ring upside down would be to hide the gems in a situation where you feel unsafe.
4
Avoid weighing down your left hand with the eternity ring on the right. Another traditional way to wear your eternity ring is to wear the wedding band and engagement ring on your left and the eternity ring on your right ring finger.^{[5]
X
Research source}
- This keeps the weight of the rings from all piling up on one finger, and creates a symmetrical appearance if you wear your wedding band on its own.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Creative with an Eternity Ring

1
Place the ring on a non-traditional finger. Ring fingers make up just two of your options for wearing an eternity ring. Since they are not governed by the same strict traditions that some feel wedding and engagement rings are, you can place the eternity ring on pretty much any finger without getting comments from others.^{[6]
X
Research source}
- Keeping your eternity ring on one of your middle fingers is a way to spread your set of rings out, and avoid crowding any one finger.
2
Try wearing both your engagement and eternity rings on your right hand. Some people wear their engagement ring on their right hand on and their wedding ring on their left. If you like this arrangement, one way to switch things up is to wear the eternity ring above the engagement ring on your right ring finger.^{[7]
X
Research source}
- You could also wear the wedding band and eternity ring together on the right hand, though this would be an even more unconventional style.
3
Wear the eternity ring between your wedding and engagement rings. Inverting the most common tradition, you can wear the engagement and wedding ring around the eternity ring. This will allow the band covered in gems to become the focal point of your ring arrangement.^{[8]
X
Research source}
- Another way to change the order would be to put the eternity ring on first so that it is at the bottom of the stack.
4
Try different arrangements until you find one that feels and looks good. The most important thing to consider when wearing an eternity ring is how it feels on your hand and how you feel about the look it brings. You can wear all your rings out and about in new ways until you find one or a few ways that make sense to you.^{[9]
X
Research source}
- You can also save your eternity ring for special occasions. Some people only wear their wedding band on a day-to-day basis, so it is perfectly acceptable to only put it on when you feel like wearing it.