Apart from the obvious answer that toe rings do add that extra glamour when on the beach or when dressing up. However, toe rings do also have a much deeper meaning that most of us are unaware of. Yes toe rings are beautiful and yes they add glamour, but lets look at the other reasons why they are worn across the globe.
Toe Rings As Part Of Culture
Toe Rings traditionally are worn by married women in India to show off their status. In Hindi they are known as “Bichiya” pronounced (bee-chee-ya), “Mettelu” in Telugu and “Metti” in Tamil. The woman will generally wear them in matching pairs on the second toe of each foot and are usually made from silver, as gold in Hindu religion should only be worn above the waist. Although this is not so evident nowadays. Hindu men are also known to wear a toe ring which is normally an open hoop design. Those who follow Ayurveda believe that if worn on the third toe it can help woman (unmarried) to ease their menstrual pain.
In some cultures, specifically Tamil, the toe ring worn by a male is a symbol of masculine strength and is worn on the largest toe. Toe rings are also a popular jewellery accessory worn by Celtic women.
In western society the toe ring is a fairly new addition to ones jewellery collection and is purely worn for fashion. It is believed that Marjorie Borell introduced toe rings in the United States in 1973 in her New York boutique "Original Toe Ring Boutique". Although traditionally worn on the second toe they are commonly worn on any toe in the west and they are usually made from silver or gold.
Styles
Due to the popularity of toe rings in western countries there are endless styles and designs certain to suit ones taste. The wearer will have a choice of open (adjustable) or closed (fitted). Due to the open style toe ring being adjustable, this design is proving to be more popular because of its flexibility regarding size for the wearer. The average width of a toe ring is about 16mm. For open and closed design toe rings the sizes are normally between 3 and 4 for the United States and F, G, H and I for British sizes.
Here at Stephen Knapper we have a range of sterling silver and gold toe rings to suite your style. Whether it is a Celtic design or something more of a classic style, take a look and find your foots new best friend.
And of course as always they are ethically made using eco-friendly gold and sterling silver.