As the saying goes, "The left hand is for thee, the right hand is for me," so right hand rings are for celebrating independence and happiness. The left hand is traditionally the hand that bears a wedding ring, but what about single women who would like a diamond ring for the sheer pleasure of it? Jewelers have initiated campaigns to fill that right hand with rings that celebrate the independent woman.
Right hand rings are designed more like cocktail rings, featuring clusters of smaller diamonds that run largely in north/south designs with lots of surrounding negative or open space. Contrast this to the traditional three stone solitaire and solid wedding band. Rings for the right hand are intended to showcase the individuality of a woman, worn on the fourth finger and sometimes the pinky.
Generally, jewelers expect women of 34 - 64 years to be the likely target market for right hand rings. A woman who has been married and owned a wedding band but no longer feels the need to wait for someone to give her a ring is a prime candidate. Women who are proud of their accomplishments and independence, who are affluent and happy, are ideal customers.
However, right hand rings aren't just for single women. They can also be worn by married women as a celebration of personal identity too often ignored while fulfilling the role of wife and mother. These rings remind women that they are worthy of fine gifts regardless of, or in addition to, any other roles they happen to play in life.
As early as 2003, the Jewelry Consumer Opinion Council reported that right hand rings tied solitaires as the most desired gifts. That same year, the Diamond Information Center reported that they were already a $5 billion US Dollar industry.
If you see a ring you'd like, don't be shy about purchasing it yourself. That's exactly what they celebrate. However, it's also acceptable to ask for the ring as a gift from a significant other, though you might want to be clear about which hand you plan to wear it on before you ask.