today i learned in meteorology that black onyx used to not be allowed on the right hand. that white onyx had to be on the right and the black on the left. the oxford dictionary defines “left” as “sinister”. the “right” is the “righteous side”. it was believed that black onyx produced evil thoughts so to have the white onyx on the right side was to balance it off. left-handed people were considered untrustworthy. now, here’s where it gets interesting. “diamonds are a man’s best friend, right?” my professor asked. the class disagreed and said the phrase was that it was a woman’s best friend. my professor smiled at the class’s obliviousness and told us that diamonds stood for virtuosity and was believed to produce good thoughts. he then asked us why men gave women diamonds and why it was meant to be put on the left hand when engaged/married. the answer? so women wouldn’t think about other men/leave them/have evil thoughts. it was meant to control the “evil” in women and that’s why the diamonds are put on their left-hand, the “sinister side”. now think about wedding ceremonies. which side do the women stand on?