Symbols of Love. . .

Symbols of Love is Ian’s acknowledgement of how we pledge ourselves, and commit to each other, when we have found the love that we wish to hold onto for the rest of our time here on Earth.

While traditional engagements and marriages are still most popular globally, they have not been inclusive throughout history. Consequently many people’s frame of reference, their truths, do not align with traditional forms of commitment. Three months’ salary in a diamond presented on bended knee from a man to a woman might still suit many couples, but it is not representative of same sex relationships that have been excluded from equal rights in society in the UK until recently. It remains tragic that there are still many places around the world where only opposite sex relationships are accepted and others are punishable by death.

How far have we really come, in all aspects of love, proposals, marriage, civil partnerships and full inclusion of all relationships, from a moral and legal perspective in the heart and the soul of all mankind? Love has no bounds and cannot be pigeonholed for the convenience of the narrow minded. It is simply all inclusive and for everyone.

S.O.L. is available exclusively in Fairmined gold and silver (with responsibly sourced gemstones) so Ian is ensuring that there is love actually in your rings, resonating from every link of the supply chain. Standard gold hides countless and well-documented multiple aspects of exploitation. Who wants to wear symbols of exploitation as a representation of their love for each other? Your rings, your symbols of love, will be guaranteed exploitation free and contribute to a growing social movement for change.

It was in Egypt, some 6,000 years ago, that it considered the circle to be a symbol of eternity and perpetual love of spouses. Hemp or reed circles were initially used or exchanged as tokens of love in marriage. The endlessness of the circle showed the eternal nature of their bond, while the open centre was a doorway to things unknown. The placing of the ring on the spouse’s finger represents the bond and walking into the unknown together.

The reason the ring finger is the traditional finger for marital rings, is because it was (wrongly) believed that there was a vein that went from that finger directly to the heart, the Vena Amoris. Since this fable originated, every finger has at one point in time been the ring or wedding band finger of choice across all mankind’s cultures.

Here at This Is Ian, we understand that an Engagement and Marriage is more than a promise and a wedding day – it’s a pledge and a commitment, between people who choose to spend the rest of their lives with each other. When people make this pledge, in their own hearts and soul to one another, then they are truly committed. While witnesses and signatures affirm this from a legal perspective, it is the spiritual one that builds the foundations for eternal love. It’s not just about the ethics and sustainability in the materials we use, but in what we do too.