A friend of mine recently asked me an interesting question: Does a left-handed woman wear her engagement ring on her right hand?

I have to admit to being a bit flummoxed by that. My first inclination was to answer, No, why would she? What does being left-handed have to do with which finger you wear your engagement ring on? Then, I thought about it: Why not wear your engagement ring on your right hand if it's more comfortable? Why not break with tradition? Traditions are merely suggestions; there are no laws that dictate women *must* wear their engagement rings on their left hands.

North American and British customs say that a woman should wear her engagement ring on her left hand. This goes all the way back to ancient Egyptian legend that believes the "Vena Amoris", or vein of love, leads directly from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart. Therefore, what better place to display the ultimate symbol of love? But, in Eastern Europe, customs are a bit different: Ukrainian women wear their rings on their right hands; German women wear their rings on their left hands while engaged, but move them to their right hands after they marry; in Poland, both the engagement ring and wedding band are worn on the right hand. Again, these are not rules carved in stone; they are traditions.

My feeling is, a woman should do whatever makes her happy. If she wants to move her engagement ring over to her right hand after she marries, and wear just her wedding band on her left hand, that's perfectly acceptable. In fact, that's what I do. My engagement ring and wedding band are not made to fit together, so I wear the band on my left hand and the ring on my right. That way, I have a ring on each hand and don't have to pore over my jewelery box to choose different rings for each outfit I wear. Sure I like to switch it up from time to time, but most days, that's where you'll find my rings.

Today's jewelery trends show many engagement ring sets, with solitaire rings and complimentary wedding bands meant to be worn together on the fourth finger on the left hand. If you have a classic solitaire setting, those work very well together. But, if you have a more elaborate setting, you might want to consider the one-ring-on-each-hand approach. In any case, it is completely at the woman's discretion, whether she chooses to be a slave to fashion, or if she just prefers to wear her rings that way, regardless of the trends.

I think the same applies to whether or not she's left-handed, and comfortable with having her engagement ring on her left hand. If she has a job that requires her to use her left hand constantly, she might want to wear her ring on her right hand - strictly for convenience or comfort. It has nothing to do with rules, regulations or traditions. Think of it this way: women love their stiletto heels; they look great, but they're extremely uncomfortable. Many would never consider leaving the house without their heels, but others will switch things up every so often and wear flats. You wear what you like, when you like. The same goes for jewelery - including your engagement ring. Wear it on whichever hand you like, as long as you remember to have fun!

Amber Brown is a self-proclaimed expert on all things left-handed. She's written all types of articles for magazines, newspapers and Web sites. Most recently, she's been working exclusively with the online Engagement Rings Web Site, Diamond Factory.