Vena amoris

Vena amoris is a Latin name meaning, literally, "vein of love." It describes a special blood vein that was once believed to flow directly from the fourth finger of the left hand to the heart.^[1] This belief has been cited in Western cultures as one of the reasons the engagement ring and/or wedding ring was placed on the fourth finger, or "ring finger".

While science now accepts that all blood veins flow to the heart, this was not understood at the time and would not be proven until the 17th century by the physician William Harvey.^[2]

^ George Frederick Kunz (1917). Rings for the finger: from the earliest known times, to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archaeology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc. J. B. Lippincott company. pp. 193–194.
^ Zaręba, Karolina (2006). "Circulation over the centuries: William Harvey (1578–1657)". Cardiology Journal. 14 (2): 214–215.

[Kunz1917-1] George Frederick Kunz (1917). Rings for the finger: from the earliest known times, to the present, with full descriptions of the origin, early making, materials, the archaeology, history, for affection, for love, for engagement, for wedding, commemorative, mourning, etc. J. B. Lippincott company. pp. 193–194.

[2] Zaręba, Karolina (2006). "Circulation over the centuries: William Harvey (1578–1657)". Cardiology Journal. 14 (2): 214–215.

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