Toe Rings - Fashion Statement or Symbolical Pieces?

Toe rings are commonly made of gold or silver, and unlike finger rings, are open at the back, so the wearer can bend the ring to fit it on a toe. While it can be worn on any toe, the second one on the foot is where these pieces are commonly placed, and this is probably because it is the longest of all the toes. Given it is anatomically proportionate, it can hold rings well.

Toe rings come in many shapes, forms and designs, like most jewellery. Others may even look intricate but it takes real effort to wear those kinds of designs because it feels different when rings are worn on the feet. Toe rings are most ideally worn with flip-flops or sandals but sometimes, people in Australia wear them without any shoes at all.

Indian Origin of Toe Rings

Western countries regard toe rings as a fashion statement only, and so it bears no symbolical meaning. Gold toe rings in both simple and ornate designs dominate many fashion stores, particularly during the time of spring or summer, where wearing of it is encouraged.

But in other countries like India, toe rings symbolize a woman's marital status, with silver being the most preferred metal. You can hardly see gold toe rings in this country because of their belief that gold should only be worn above the waist.

Known as "bichiya" in India, some sets even come in five pieces, to be worn in each of the toes on the left foot. Each of these rings represents a woman's role as wife and sister. The biggest of the rings is worn on the great toe. When a married woman's brother or her husband dies, one of the rings must then be removed. Hindu women who are not yet married are prohibited from wearing the bichiya.

Men and Toe Rings

Some men in India also wear toe rings to represent vigour and vitality. However, theirs are designed as open hoops so that it can be easily removed.

In eastern medicine, the toe rings are believed to bring an erotic effect on the man because of the pressure on the second toe. It may also enhance the health of the male reproductive system, as well as promote balance.

Modern Way of Wearing Toe Rings

In the United States, toe rings were only introduced in the early 70's as a fashion trend and these were sold in high-end retail stores. The first few designs were actually similar to the toe rings Hindu men wore, that is, hoops that can be easily adjusted or removed if needed. But later, designs came with a very tiny gap that is hidden at the bottom when worn. This gap allowed for the toe rings to be slipped over easily.

Yellow gold toe rings became popular in the early 80's and subsequently, white gold rings made its way in the fashion fold, too. Yellow gold was fairly complementary of outfits in warm colours, while white gold was better matched for clothes in hues of blues and greens.

With toe rings, they are more fashionable and practical to wear if it is not overdone. You only need one ring on the foot, because too many can cause balance and walking problems, especially if you are not used to this accessory. You can, however, wear toe rings with shiny gemstones like diamonds or a person's birthstone, for a more alluring effect. The gems are set subtly though and will not affect movement. Another way to wear this is to have gold toe rings engraved with name or initials, or a favourite symbol, to make this a more personal fashion statement.

Toe rings are abundantly on sale in jewellery online stores. In fact, we have quite a selection of these in many contemporary designs at Bee Jewellery. As with all the jewellery sold from the store, these toe rings come with a ten-year guarantee. With the launch of their Bricks and Clicks store, online shoppers can choose from over 200 authorised Bee Stockists to look after their post-purchase service and guarantee needs, so even if the item was purchased online, the consumer can feel comfortable bringing the piece in to the authorised distributor for resizing or servicing.