The History of Rings

During the Medieval period is when rings became popular. All classes of people wore rings from the poorest to the richest. Rings were typically made of iron, copper, silver, and gold. The material of the ring worn usually indicated the class of the wearer. It wasn't until around the 14th century that faceted jewels appeared in rings.

Some cultures have rings typically associated with them. Cultures such as Native Americans use silver and turquoise in their jewelry. Early Christians used the Greek symbol, the Icthus, which resembles a fish. One of the best known is the Irish Claddagh that also has an intriguing story attached to it. Richard Joyce was among the crew of a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh, Ireland that was captured, he was to have been married that very same week. During slavery Richard Joyce was put to the trade of Goldsmith-ing. Through the years of capture neither married. Richard Joyce created a ring for his love with a heart for love, a crown for loyalty, and two hands.

After Joyce escaped capture, he returned to the village of Claddagh and was overjoyed to see his love again and to know she had never married. She always knew he would return to her. He gave her the ring that has become known as the Claddagh ring. If the Claddagh is worn on the right hand with the crown inward (toward the wrist) the heart is not yet committed. If it is worn on the right hand with the crown turned outward the wearer is committed to someone. Finally if it is worn on the left hand with the crown outward it means "Let our love and friendship reign forever, never to be separated."

Rings are worn for a variety of reasons including adornment. There are rings given as a reward for a job well done such as the Super Bowl victory. They are given to represent commitment as in engagements and marriages. Women religious to signify their commitment to God also wear rings.

Rings can be made of almost any material now. They can be made from plastic, silver, gold, or copper, even wood. They can be made of ceramic materials as well. They can be of simple design or something as intricate as filigree.

They can be plain and simple or they can be adorned with jewels or gemstones, as in the case of birthstone rings. There is a birthstone for each month of the year and each has its own meaning. See the listing below.

January - Garnet
The gem of faith and truth; protects from poisons, thought to stop bleeding, cure sickness of the blood and infections.

February - Amethyst
Aids soldiers in battle, control evil thoughts, helps hunters to catch animals, and helps the owner be good in business.

March - Aquamarine
Sailors used aquamarine to gemstones to keep them safe and to prevent seasickness. It gives the wearer courage, foresight and courage

April - Diamond
Symbol of strength, courage, and invincibility. It is the ultimate gift of love. In 1477 Archduke Maxmillian of Austria gave Mary of Burgundy a diamond ring, thus starting the tradition of diamonds being given as engagement rings.

May - Emerald
Sharpened the wearer's eyesight and mind. Travelers used them as protection against the hazards of long trips. The green color is said to give the owner power to predict the future.

June - Pearl
Freshwater pearls give the power of love, money, protection, and luck. It is said they give provide wisdom through experience and protect children from harm.

July - Ruby
Its red color is related to sex, passion, strength, health, physical energy, courage, and protection. It is associated with blood, birth, and death

August - Peridot
It is thought to bring the wearer good luck, peace, and success. Its powers include health, protection, and sleep. It attracts love, calms anger, eases anxiety and negative emotions

September - Saphire
Its powers include spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. It is said to aid in the healing of rheumatism, colic and mental illness

October - Opal
It has healing powers that aid inner beauty, faithfulness, and eyesight. It also aids in remembering past lives.

November - Yellow Topaz (Sanskrit for fire)
In the Middle Ages was thought to heal both physical and mental illnesses and prevent death. Citrine - also for November - Aids the kidneys, heart, digestive tract liver, and muscles. It promotes creativity, personal clarity and eliminates self-destructive tendencies.

December - Blue Topaz (Sanskrit for fire)
In the Middle Ages was thought to heal both physical and mental illnesses and prevent death. Turquoise - also for December - It attracts money, success, and love. It gives protection, healing, courage, friendship, and luck. It eases the mind and mental tension.


There are school rings, engagement rings, wedding rings, friendship rings and mothers rings (usually the birthstones of her children set on a band. The price range of rings can be anywhere from fifty cents (usually found in the toy machines you see in stores) to thousands of dollars and more or even higher.

Author Bio
Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice for consumers on purchasing a variety of products which includes Wedding Ring and and more! His numerous articles provide a wonderfully researched resource of interesting and relevant information.

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Choosing the Right Engagement Ring For Valentines Day

Engagement rings are a symbol of a promise and a commitment for the future. They are highly romanticized and something that girls fantasize about, probably starting about the time they first notice boys. They will most likely change their mind more than several times, both about the boy they envision giving them the ring and about what the ring that symbolizes their engagement will look like.

Engagement fantasies are just that - fantasies; I can assure you that they are not thinking along the lines of what a discount ring, or even an affordable ring will look like. As they get older, their character and values will determine whether their fantasies are more towards marrying for love, or for status. It is a horrifying thought to know that the majority of marriages are somewhat of a business decision. I guess that would apply as well then, to the engagement.

Inexpensive engagement ring ideas may come to mind for the pure of heart who only fantasize about that the man of their dreams be wonderful and kind, and not necessarily worldly and successful. One of the main arguments that create conflict in a marriage is finances. If the man of your choice doesn't have unlimited financial resources at the time of his proposal, you may want to choose an affordable engagement ring.

Jewelers offer beautiful rings in all qualities, sizes and price range. It should not be difficult to find a ring to suit your taste and budget but if you are creative and can't find the ring of your dreams, another option would be to design your own ring and have it custom made.

One thing to ask the jeweler before choosing a ring is the grade of the diamond. Diamonds are graded and priced according to what is referred to as the four Cs for color, cut, clarity and carat weight.

Read everything you need to know about purchasing a diamond engagement ring and more.

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Author is marketer for sites such as:
Valentines Day
www.healthresourcesonline.net/laser/

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College Class Rings

Since the times when rings were created, people have worn them for a great variety of reasons; they have been symbols of different events, things and feelings. The college class ring stands for one's unique accomplishment during university years and embodies a lifelong connection between a person, their classmates and university.

College rings have a long and rich tradition. They first appeared 150 years ago and were worn by the cadets of the U.S. Military Academy. These first college rings had a very strange design: a book with a sword driven through it, showing the class' contempt (this emblem was first used by Voltaire to express his hostility to the Bible). Later these rings were replaced by gold signet ones with the years of graduation and school insignia engraved. During the World War II college rings came into fashion all over the country and were worn by trendies from different American colleges. There also appeared a custom among students, who went out together, to exchange their rings (he put it on a finger, while she wore it around a neck). After the War most American universities picked up this tradition, what reinforced it and made it an American cultural mainstay.

Nowadays, being all the rage, college class rings are available in a great variety of designs and styles, s o you are sure to find a ring to your liking. You may choose an intricate and elaborate an elegant and handcrafted, or even an avant-garde ring either with a small, delicate stone or with a huge, shimmering gem . Besides, you may select from precious and non-precious metals. The most common of them are platinum, yellow or white gold, silver or lustrium. As regards metal finish some graduatesfavor Antique Finish (it shows the contrast between the fine detail of your ring and a dark background); others prefer Natural Finish (it accentuates the glint of your gold ring).

On the whole, college rings are divided into traditional, signet and fashion rings. Though regardless of the style, they all are usually studded with artificial or g enuine stones, and those can be ofa Facet or Smooth cut.

Depending on the gem and the cut you've chosen, there are various stone effects available. Encrusting rings are those with a symbol or a personal letter inscribed withgold, which is deeply embedded into your stone. It looks better on dark and only smooth gems. Encrusting can't be used with other effects such as Sundance or Astralight. Astralightrings give the illusion of a rainbow beneath the stone, while Sundance ringsgive the illusion of rays. The both latter effects can be found both on smooth and faceted gems.

You may also create a unique college class ring by engraving your personal information into the inside of it. The most common inscriptions are graduation year, degree, initials or full name. There are also Curriculum Panels available, which includes symbols of your curriculum or major.
There is a great variety of college class ring styles and designs on the market. You will definitely pick out a ring that will be an extension of who you are; a ring, that will express your individuality and reflect your personal features, and at the same time embodies the traditions and symbols of your university, making your experience last forever.

Author Bio
This article submitted by Mike Daniels, the jewelry industry specialist - www.jewelring.com

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