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Jewelry.
Fashion –rings – We Love and Cherish Them or Just Show Them Off
Author:
Kathleen Luvit
Jewelry has a
very long and diverse history going back as far as history takes us.
Every culture has embraced the use of jewelry for adornment in some
form or other. The history of wearing rings goes back a long time
also. We think of great rulers who used their signet rings to imprint
a wax seal to put their authority on documents.
Today we love
rings as much as they were ever loved. In western cultures they can
be worn by male or female of any age, on any finger, thumb or toe.
Rings are often made out of precious metals, like gold and sterling
silver. Many popular styles of rings are made out of stainless steel
or other base metals, wood, bone or shells. Rings speak of love and
friendship or are worn just for beauty and fashion.
Rings are
decorated by etching, using contrasting metals, plating, adding
precious and semi-precious gems, pearls, enamel or oxidised finishes.
The list of decoration is as endless as the many shapes and sizes of rings.
The Spinner
Rings can be used to annoy everyone around you or be used as way
of stress relief for the wearer.
The Class
Ring or school graduation ring is often engraved with the year
of graduation and a stone of one of the school colors.
Stack
Rings are two or more rings
designed to fit on the same finger at the same time.
Cocktail
Rings are usually large and set with oversized gems, rather
showy but elegant.
Rings,
especially sterling silver rings, make wonderful
gifts because they look wonderful and are not too expensive. The
beautiful glow of the silver sets off the sparkle of any gems that
may be used to create the ring. The majority of peoples skin tone is
more suited to silver or a mixture of silver and gold than it is to
plain gold.
Rings are
widely used as a symbol of love and marriage. The continuous circular
band is said to be symbolic of continuous love and commitment between
the partners in the marriage. Some engagement rings and eternity
rings feature three main stones symbolising the past, present and
future of the continuing relationship. Most eternity
rings have a continuous line of gem stones.
The claddagh
ring was first crafted in 1689. Claddagh rings have two hands
clasping a heart, symbolizing love, surmounted by a crown,
symbolizing loyalty. The ring worn on the right hand with the heart
turned outward indicates that your heart is yet unoccupied. Worn on
the right hand with the heart turned inward indicates that love is
being considered. Worn on the left hand the with the heart turned
inward shows everyone that your heart is truly spoken for.
The rich and
famous may measure their worth by the size and price of the gems in
their rings but the rest of us are content to wear rings for their
own beauty and style. We are fortunate these days to be able to take
advantage of the man made gems that look stunning yet are very cost effective.
Rings are for
wearing, giving, cherishing and enjoying, one can never have too many. |
