Home Discussion Topics Dictionary Almanac

Signup Login

Ring (jewellery)

Discussion

Ask a question about 'Ring (jewellery)'

Start a new discussion about 'Ring (jewellery)'

Answer questions from other users

Full Discussion Forum

Encyclopedia

A finger ring is a circular band worn as a type of ornamental jewelry around a finger; it is the most common current meaning of the word ring. Other types of metal bands worn as ornaments are also called rings, such as arm ring

Arm ring

An arm ring, also known as an armlet or an armband, is a band of metal, usually a precious metal, worn as an ornament around the biceps of the upper arm...

s and neck rings

Torc

A torc, also spelled torq or torque, is a large, usually rigid, neck ring typically made from strands of metal twisted together. The great majority are open-ended at the front, although many seem designed for near-permanent wear and would have been difficult to remove. Smaller torcs worn around...

.

Rings are worn by both men and women and can be of any quality. Rings can be made of metal

Metal

A metal , is an element, compound, or alloy that is a good conductor of both electricity and heat. Metals are usually malleable and shiny, that is they reflect most of incident light...

, plastic

Plastic

A plastic material is any of a wide range of synthetic or semi-synthetic organic solids used in the manufacture of industrial products. Plastics are typically polymers of high molecular mass, and may contain other substances to improve performance and/or reduce production costs...

, wood

Wood

Wood is a hard, fibrous tissue found in many trees. It has been used for hundreds of thousands of years for both fuel and as a construction material. It is an organic material, a natural composite of cellulose fibers embedded in a matrix of lignin which resists compression...

, bone

Bone

Bones are rigid organs that constitute part of the endoskeleton of vertebrates. They support, and protect the various organs of the body, produce red and white blood cells and store minerals. Bone tissue is a type of dense connective tissue...

, glass

Glass

Glass is an amorphous solid material. Glasses are typically brittle and optically transparent.The most familiar type of glass, used for centuries in windows and drinking vessels, is soda-lime glass, composed of about 75% silica plus Na2O, CaO, and several minor additives...

, gemstone

Gemstone

A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...

or other materials. They may be set with a "stone" of some sort, which is often a precious or semi-precious gemstone

Gemstone

A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...

such as diamond

Diamond

In mineralogy, diamond is an allotrope of carbon, where the carbon atoms are arranged in a variation of the face-centered cubic crystal structure called a diamond lattice. Diamond is less stable than graphite, but the conversion rate from diamond to graphite is negligible at ambient conditions...

, ruby

Ruby

A ruby is a pink to blood-red colored gemstone, a variety of the mineral corundum . The red color is caused mainly by the presence of the element chromium. Its name comes from ruber, Latin for red. Other varieties of gem-quality corundum are called sapphires...

, sapphire

Sapphire

Sapphire is a gemstone variety of the mineral corundum, an aluminium oxide , when it is a color other than red or dark pink; in which case the gem would instead be called a ruby, considered to be a different gemstone. Trace amounts of other elements such as iron, titanium, or chromium can give...

or emerald

Emerald

Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...

, but can also be of almost any material.

History of rings

The custom of giving and receiving rings dates back over approximately 6,000 years.

The fourth digit or ring finger

Ring finger

The ring finger is the fourth digit of the human hand, and the second most ulnar finger, located between the middle finger and the little finger. It is also called digitus medicinalis, the fourth finger, digitus annularis, digitus quartus, or digitus IV in anatomy.- Etymology :According to László A...

of the left hand has become the customary place to wear a wedding ring

Wedding ring

A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...

in much of the world, though in certain countries the right hand finger is used. This custom was practically established as the norm during World War II. The use of the fourth finger of the left hand is associated with an old belief that the left hand's ring finger is connected by a vein directly to the heart: the vena amoris
Vena amoris
Vena amoris is a Latin name meaning, literally, "vein of love". Traditional belief established that this vein ran directly from the heart to the fourth finger of the left hand. This theory has been cited in western cultures as one of the reasons the engagement ring and/or wedding ring was placed...

or vein of love. This idea, said to have originated in Egypt, was known in 16th and 17th century England, when Henry Swinburne

Henry Swinburne (lawyer)

Henry Swinburne was an English ecclesiastical lawyer and scholar. Initially working as a clerk at a Consistory Court he attended the University of Oxford from 1576 to 1580, graduating with a Bachelor of Civil Law degree, and was admitted to the bar at York to work as an ecclesiastical lawyer...

referred to it in his book about marriage. It can be traced back to ancient Rome

Ancient Rome

Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....

, when Aulus Gellius

Aulus Gellius

Aulus Gellius , was a Latin author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome, where he held a judicial office...

cited Appianus as saying the ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt was an ancient civilization of Northeastern Africa, concentrated along the lower reaches of the Nile River in what is now the modern country of Egypt. Egyptian civilization coalesced around 3150 BC with the political unification of Upper and Lower Egypt under the first pharaoh...

ians had found a fine nerve linking that particular finger to the heart.

Styles of ring

Ring	Usage
Aqiq ring	A carnelian Carnelian Carnelian is a brownish-red mineral which is commonly used as a semi-precious gemstone. Similar to carnelian is sard, which is generally harder and darker... or Agate ring worn by some Muslims, especially Shi'ah, in imitation of Muhammad Muhammad Muhammad \|ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts... and the twelve Imams Twelve Imams The Twelve Imams are the spiritual and political successors to Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam, in the Twelver or Ithna-‘ashariyyah branch of Shī‘ah Islam.... .
Brass Rat	A unique class ring worn by graduates of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Championship ring Championship ring A championship ring is a ring presented to members of winning teams in professional sports leagues, and—in North America—college tournaments. In recent years, it has become common for American, and Canadian high schools to give championship rings to teams that win the state or provincial...	A ring presented to members of winning teams in professional business leagues as well as college tournaments in North America.
Claddagh ring Claddagh Ring The Claddagh ring is a traditional Irish ring given as a token of friendship, love and/or as a wedding ring. The design and customs associated with it originated in the Irish fishing village of Claddagh, located just outside the city of Galway...	An Irish Ireland Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth... friendship ring. It is traditionally used to indicate the state of romantic availability.
Class ring Class ring A class ring is a ring worn by students and alumni in the United States and Canada to commemorate their graduation, generally for a high school, college, or university.-History:...	Worn by students and alumni in commemoration of their graduation.
Dinner ring Dinner ring A dinner ring or cocktail ring is a large over sized ring, setwith precious or semiprecious stones. Cocktail rings became popular during the 1940s and 1950s. They are generally worn by women and placed on the fourth finger of the right hand...	An oversized ring, set with non-precious or semiprecious stones.
Doctoral ring Doctoral ring In Swedish and Danish academia, a doctoral ring may be bestowed upon the conferral of a doctorate. Together with the doctoral hat, it forms part of the academic regalia. Doctoral rings are made of gold and in a design specific to the conferring faculty...	A gold ring worn by a scholar who earns a doctoral degree at a Danish university or a Swedish university.
Ecclesiastical ring Ecclesiastical ring An ecclesiastical ring is a finger ring worn by a clergyman, such as a Bishop's ring.-Historical antecedents:St. Clement of Alexandria says that a man might lawfully wear a ring on his little finger, and that it should bear some religious emblem—a dove for the Holy Spirit, a fish for Christ or an...	A religious ring, either of authority for clerics or as some other special religious symbol
Engagement ring Engagement ring An engagement ring is a ring indicating that the person wearing it is engaged to be married, especially in Western cultures. In the United Kingdom, Ireland and North America, engagement rings are traditionally worn only by women, and rings can feature diamonds or other gemstones. In other cultures...	A traditional ring worn by a woman to indicate her engagement to be married.
Eternity ring Eternity ring An eternity ring is a lady's ring, worn on the hand, comprising a band of precious metal set with a continuous line of identically cut gemstones to symbolize never-ending love, usually given from a husband to his wife on the occasion of a significant anniversary.Because the presence of stones all...	A ring symbolizing eternity with a partner.
Finger armor ring Finger armor ring A finger armor ring is a piece of jewelry worn on the finger. Typically it spans from the base of the finger to just below the nail or middle of the second joint and includes a bending joint. It typically takes on the appearance of a finger-piece from a medieval gauntlet, but is typically smaller...	Typically it spans from the base of the finger to just below the nail or middle of the second joint and includes a bending joint.
Friendship ring	Friendship rings are used to symbolize a close relationship that has no romantic undertone.
Gimmal ring Gimmal ring A gimmal ring, or gimmel ring, is a ring with two or three hoops or links that fit together to form one complete ring. The name gimmal comes from Latin gemellus, twin, via Old French....	Ring made of 2 or 3 linking hoops, popular for betrothals in 16th and 17th century Europe
Iron Ring Iron Ring The Iron Ring is a ring worn by many engineers in Canada as a symbol and reminder of the obligations and ethics associated with the profession. Obtaining the ring is an optional endeavour, as it is not a prerequisite to becoming a Professional Engineer...	Ring worn by Canadian engineers.
Magic ring Magic ring A magic ring is a ring, usually a finger ring, that has magical properties. It appears frequently in fantasy and fairy tales. Magic rings are found in the folklore of every country where rings are worn, and they endow the wearer with a variety of abilities, including invisibility, the granting of...	A fictitious ornament that appears frequently in fantasy stories and fairy tales.
Mood ring Mood ring A mood ring is a ring which contains a thermochromic element, such as liquid crystal. The ring changes color in response to the body temperature of its wearer...	A novelty ring which changes color in response to body temperature, using a thermochromic liquid crystal.
Mother's ring Mother's ring A mother's ring is a type of memorial jewelry. It has a birthstone for each of the children of a woman, either living or dead. They can represent a mother or grandmother's family, can include birthstones for other family members, and can be given upon the birth of a new child or...	A ring worn by a mother displaying the birthstone of each of her children, and sometimes including those of the mother and father.
Mourning ring Mourning ring A mourning ring is a finger ring worn in memory of someone who has died. It often bears the name and date of death of the person, and possibly an image of them, or a motto. They were usually paid for by the person commemorated, or their heirs, and often specified, along with the list of intended...	A ring worn in memory of someone who has died.
Multi-Finger ring	Two or more conjoined rings, designed to be worn across two, three, or four fingers; popularized by hip-hop culture.
Pinky ring Pinky Ring A pinky ring is a ring worn on the pinky finger. Pinky rings are not gender-specific, and are commonly found on both men and women. Often there is no special significance associated with wearing a pinky ring, other than the typical motivations for wearing jewellery...	A ring worn on the pinky finger.
Posie ring Posie ring Posie rings are finger rings with short inscriptions on their outer surfaces. More rarely the inscription is on the inner surface....	A ring with a short inscription on its outer surface.
Pre-engagement ring	A small, inexpensive ring given to a partner, to promise not to court a rival.
Promise ring Promise ring A pre-engagement ring is a ring given to a romantic partner to signify a commitment to a monogamous relationship, often as a precursor to an engagement ring...	A ring worn to remind a person of a promise that was made.
Purity ring Purity ring Purity rings are worn as a sign of chastity. The practice originated in the United States in the 1990s among Christian-affiliated sexual abstinence groups....	A symbol of virginity in some religious cultures.
Puzzle ring Puzzle ring A traditional puzzle ring is a type of finger ring made up of four, six, eight, or twelve interconnected rings. Contemporary designs include rings of three, five or seven bands. Puzzle rings often appear to be endless knots. Many think this points to Celtic heritage. Reassembly is a form of...	Interlocking rings forming a single band; difficult to reassemble if removed from the finger.
Poison ring Poison ring A poison ring or pillbox ring is a type of ring with a container under the bezel or inside the bezel itself that could be used to hold poison or another substance. They became popular in Europe during the sixteenth century... or Pillbox ring	A Ring consisting of a pillbox fitted into the ring, either for keeping medication or poison Poison In the context of biology, poisons are substances that can cause disturbances to organisms, usually by chemical reaction or other activity on the molecular scale, when a sufficient quantity is absorbed by an organism.... .
Regards ring Regards ring A regards ring was a Victorian engagement ring in which the initials of the precious stones mounted on the band spelled out the word "regards" in an implicit acrostic: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire....	A Victorian engagement ring with an implicit acrostic: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire.
Rosary ring	A rosary ring is a ring worn around the finger with 10 indentations and a cross on the surface, representing one decade of a rosary. The rings are used to keep track of place in the prayer by rotating the ring on a finger and feeling the marks.
Signet ring	An emblematic, often familial, ring, often bearing a coat of arms, fit for use to imprint a wax seal Seal (device) A seal can be a figure impressed in wax, clay, or some other medium, or embossed on paper, with the purpose of authenticating a document ; but the term can also mean the device for making such impressions, being essentially a mould with the mirror image of the design carved in sunken- relief or... on documents etc.
Sovereign ring Sovereign ring A sovereign ring is a ring which typically has a gold sovereign as a primary decorative feature, with the obverse face as the visible detail. The coin may be either genuine or replica tender, and may be either a sovereign or half sovereign...	A typically large, gold ring, set with a gold sovereign as its decorative feature.
Thumb ring	This largest of finger rings is worn on the thumb primarily for fashion.
Watch ring	A small analogue or digital watch to be worn around a finger.
Wedding ring Wedding ring A wedding ring or wedding band is a metal ring indicating the wearer is married. Depending on the local culture, it is worn on the base of the right or the left ring finger. The custom of wearing such a ring has spread widely beyond its origin in Europe...	A ring presented in many marriage ceremonies to signify marital commitment. Originally worn only by the woman, it is now common for both spouses to wear such a ring.

Notable individual rings

Iffland-Ring
Iffland-Ring
The Iffland-Ring is a diamond-studded ring with the picture of August Wilhelm Iffland ....

(presently held by Swiss actor Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz
Bruno Ganz is a Swiss actor, known for his roles as Damiel in Wings of Desire and Adolf Hitler in Downfall.- Early life :Bruno Ganz was born in Zürich to a Swiss mechanic father and a northern Italian mother. He had decided to pursue an acting career by the time he entered university...

.)
Hans-Reinhart-Ring
Hans-Reinhart-Ring
The Hans-Reinhart-Ring is a prestigious Swiss award in theatre....

(presently held by actor Christoph Marthaler.)
The Ring of the Fisherman
Ring of the Fisherman
The Ring of the Fisherman, also known as the Piscatory Ring, Annulus Piscatoris and the Anello Piscatorio , is an official part of the regalia worn by the Pope, who is head of the Catholic Church and successor of Saint Peter, who was a fisherman by trade...

(the seal-ring of office of the Pope
Pope
The Pope is the Bishop of Rome, a position that makes him the leader of the worldwide Catholic Church . In the Catholic Church, the Pope is regarded as the successor of Saint Peter, the Apostle...

).

Other types

Arm ring
Arm ring
An arm ring, also known as an armlet or an armband, is a band of metal, usually a precious metal, worn as an ornament around the biceps of the upper arm...

s.
Neck ring
Neck ring
Neck rings are formed with one or more spiral metal coils of many turns worn as an ornament around the neck of an individual. In a few African and Asian cultures neck rings are worn usually to create the appearance that the neck has been stretched. Padaung women of the Kayan people begin to wear...

s.
Toe rings are smaller rings worn on any of the toes.
Earring
Earring
Common locations for piercings, other than the earlobe, include the rook, tragus, and across the helix . The simple term "ear piercing" usually refers to an earlobe piercing, whereas piercings in the upper part of the external ear are often referred to as "cartilage piercings"...

External links