What does it mean when a woman stops wearing her wedding ring?
Does it mean she’s trying to hide the fact that she’s married?
Is it a sign that she’s going through marital troubles?
Before you jump to any conclusions, it may not mean anything along those lines – although, it’s also possible.
To help explain why a woman might stop wearing her wedding ring and whether or not it’s disrespectful, here is an explanation:
What It Means When a Woman Stops Wearing Her Wedding Ring
There are several possible explanations as to why a woman might stop wearing her wedding ring, but it doesn’t necessarily mean she’s separated.
Some of the common reasons I’ve seen over the years include:
- She’s pregnant and her fingers are swelling – yep, I’ve heard this reason more than once so it’s something to keep in mind.
- Her profession doesn’t allow for the wearing of jewelry – a lot of professions forbid wearing jewelry, usually, because it’s a possible health hazard or might get damaged.
- Allergies to metals – some people find out they’re allergic to certain metals when they start wearing a ring.
- It’s lost or being resized – wedding rings can easily get lost or misplaced. It’s also not uncommon for women to lose or gain weight and need to get their ring resized.
- It’s too precious – most women like expensive rings, and then they end up having to leave the ring locked up somewhere so it can’t get lost or stolen. Often, they’ll have a less expensive spare ring, or not wear one at all.
- Personal choice – some women (and men, me included) simply do not wear a wedding ring out of choice. Usually, because it’s not comfortable or it’s distracting.
In each of these cases, a woman is still just as married and committed to her husband – but as you can see, she just isn’t wearing her ring at the moment.
Now, those are the best case, most innocent explanations.
There are also other reasons why women do not wear their weddings rings, and these are the reasons most people jump to the conclusion of, being:
- She is trying to hide the fact that she’s married.
- She is open about being married but is going through marital problems.
- She is separated but not divorced.
In each of those cases, it would be pretty reasonable to assume that the woman in question is facing some personal difficulties in her life!
Related – I explain why some people think it’s disrespectful not to wear a wedding ring when married.
What Does It Mean When Your Wife Stops Wearing Her Wedding Ring?
If it’s your wife that has stopped wearing her wedding ring, you need to talk to her and ask her why.
Please don’t jump to conclusions without speaking with her.
That’s not going to help, it’s only going to make you conjure up the worst-case scenarios, and there may be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
For instance, as I said above, she may have had to take her ring off because it’s not fitting well and slipping off, or maybe it’s irritating her.
What Does a Wedding Ring Mean to A Woman?
Wedding rings symbolize and mean different things to different people, but generally speaking, they represent devotion and commitment to your partner.
For a lot of women, their wedding ring is the most important piece of jewelry they own.
It’s not just an expensive piece of metal or diamond, it’s a symbol of their love and commitment.
Dare I say that there is often a little competition amongst women, too.
It’s natural for women to want to show off such a beautiful and meaningful piece of jewelry, and for a lot of women, it’s a status symbol as well.
So, when a woman stops wearing her wedding ring, it can be confusing and concerning – but as you now know, there are many possible explanations!
If your wife has stopped wearing her wedding ring, talk to her about it before jumping to any conclusions.
Related – I also cover reasons why men suddenly stop wearing their wedding rings.
Remember – Not Wearing a Ring Doesn’t Affect Your Marriage Vows
It’s easy to think that if your wife (or another woman) isn’t wearing her wedding ring, she must not be committed to the marriage – but that’s simply not true.
Vows are vows, and a piece of jewelry doesn’t change that.
A wedding ring is a symbol, but it’s not what actually holds a marriage together.
If you’re concerned about your marriage, talk to your wife about it – don’t just focus on the fact that she’s not wearing her ring.
I hope this article helped clear up some of the confusion and myths surrounding women and wedding rings!
If you have any questions or would like to share your own experiences, please leave a comment below.
Image credits – Photo by mulugeta wolde on Unsplash
Phil lives in England, UK, and has around 20 years experience as a professional life, career and executive coach. He started this blog to help others find and define their own self development journey. Blogging about a wide range of topics to help facilitate a better future.
Phil, my wife and I have been married over 20 years. She stopped wearing her wedding 1 about 10 years ago while she was working at a new car hauler transport company. She started coming home with stories of how the OTR truckers were always hitting on her at work inviting her out on dates, etc. When I asked if she was wearing her ring at work, she never gave me an answer sketchybut said “oh, everybody knows I’m married”. Then I started to notice she stopped wearing her ring around me. I asked about it and she would always give me a sketchy, different story as to why. We are having marital problems currently from her not communicating to my ED. We have 2 boys together and she refuses couples counseling stating I’m the only one that needs counseling. I don’t drink don’t smoke, never any drugs in my life. She’s a liberal & I’m a conservative. No respect for my values, needs, etc. I would just like your thoughts from the outside looking in. We are currently separated and it’s not looking good. I found out she posted on her FB that she’s “writing the next chapter of her life”.
Signed, Confused in Denver.