Saturday, March 26, 2011

What Does Your Ring Say about You?

By Ann Daniels


Rings being worn or designed with symbolism behind them is nothing new. Rings can be traditional or modern in style, but either way they can express something meaningful to the wearer as well as the giver.

Previously, rings were worn to differentiate between classes or identify families. This custom can still seen today with the popularity of class rings, signet rings with monogrammed initials, membership rings to an organization, and rings that show success in different types of competition. Others wear rings to express their interest in the mythology behind their birthstone. A modern twist on the time-honored birthstone ring is the mother's ring. The mother's ring holds the different precious or semi-precious gemstones that are associated with the birth month of each child.

Rings that signify interpersonal relationships also hold great value in our society. Wedding bands, engagement rings, and also friendship rings are popular all over the world. One ring that can serve as any of these symbolic pieces of jewelry, depending on how it is worn, is the Irish claddagh ring. A symbol of love, loyalty, and friendship, this ring depicts the wearer's status depending on which hand it is worn on and the direction of the hearts. This symbolic ring is truly diverse in purpose.

Not only gaining in popularity with women, wedding rings are also becoming important statements for men. With the introduction of newer, stronger materials like tungsten carbide, tungsten wedding bands are becoming a new staple for wedding jewelry. For the man who wants to combine the old traditions with a modern twist, a tungsten carbide ring featuring a gold or silver inlay would be perfect. It is also possible to engrave a special message or date inside the tungsten carbide band for added personalization.

The expansion of wedding bands as a general trend and the capability of creating distinctive rings out of stronger materials like platinum, tungsten and titanium have also ensured that the men's wedding band, first widely used in the 1940s, is here to stay.




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