Rings are one of the most common pieces of jewelry. In the thousands of years of human development, the ring has an indelible decorative and commemorative role. So what categories can rings be divided into? If only from the perspective of function to analyze, basically the ring can be divided into the following categories:
- Seal ring: in this kind of ring will be engraved with the wearer’s name, occupation and other information that can represent the identity, but also a symbol of supreme power. History books record that the Romans have the tradition of wearing seal rings, and also, people have found three seal rings from Rome. Archaeologists studied them and concluded that they should come from the medieval period.
- Commemorative rings: the most common rings in life are commemorative rings. For example, the brand party’s ring, the ring given by the alma mater when graduating, the award ring given by the organizer when getting the honor. We can also engrave some commemorative words on the ring, favorite lyrics or lines from classic movies are good choices.
- Decorative Rings: Rings were originally intended to be purely decorative. Rings from the Lateran period were simple patterns that evolved into the Roman period, which produced a large number of elaborately engraved gold rings. These rings were used for decorative purposes and did not have any special meaning.
- Amulet rings: amulet rings have a strong religious color, usually engraved with strange symbols and inscriptions, rich floral patterns, is considered a carrier of faith, is a bridge to communicate with God.
- Love rings: love rings appeared only in the medieval period, couples in this period will exchange rings with each other, and inscribed on the inside of the ring on behalf of the love of romantic phrases, such as never leave, the sky is the limit, and so on. Gold rings were also exchanged at the time of marriage, a custom that has been passed down to the present day. Nowadays, people prepare elaborate rings to propose to their beloved ones.
Handmade Ring Making Process
In the modern world, with the rapid development of technology, it is becoming more and more difficult to see purely hand-carved rings. In various countries, most artisans use a combination of computerized design, laser engraving and hand engraving for their engraving methods. However, it has to be said that hand-carved rings are far more unique than machine-carved ones. So, it is still necessary to know the process of handmade rings, which will surely inspire you in ring design.
Simple ring
The metal material is first rolled into thin strips using a rolling mill, and then the strips are transformed into rings by means of a mandrel, and the size of the ring to be created can be chosen directly on the mandrel. In order to keep the initial color and texture of the sterling silver ring, it is recommended to use a pneumatic engraver to make simple engravings on the outer or inner ring. There are many things that can be engraved, the most common being English, numbers, simple geometric patterns, Morse code, and so on. Of course, you can also turn on your brain and design some original patterns according to your needs.
Shaped Rings
Alien rings are hammered, polished and forged hundreds of times, eventually creating intricate and weirdly shaped textures on the ring. At first people may have thought it was a production mistake, but gradually, through aesthetic changes, shaped rings became very popular. It was found that these rings presented a rhythmic and unique style. Craftsmen with a lot of experience in carving will also vulcanize the ring when it is finished. You can design your own flat or three-dimensional pattern of different elements in different styles to be engraved on the ring, and you can also choose whether the ring is open or closed ……
Knowledge on how to wear a ring
There is really no standardized rule on the question of how a ring should be worn. You can choose to wear it in any way that you feel expresses your fashion sense. If you want to follow the traditional way of wearing the ring, then the seal ring is usually worn on the ring finger and the tail finger. Some questions may arise in your mind, isn’t wearing a ring on the pinky finger a symbol of singleness? I would like to tell you that seal rings are different from other rings in the sense that seal rings are simply status symbols and have nothing to do with whether you are in a single status or not.
You can stack the seal ring with other rings on your pinky finger, which can symbolize your status and also declare your emotional status, stacking is still a unique fashion.
How popular are rings in modern society?
In modern society, the function of seal rings to seal important documents or envelopes has almost disappeared, but we often use them as personal or family symbols.
People in modern society generally seek individuality, so they will highlight their characteristics through tattoos and other means. Wearing a ring can also fulfill their needs and become a vehicle to express their individuality. Moreover, rings can be changed at any time in order to transform their style, whereas it would be very troublesome to make changes to tattoos. Rings are also less ostentatious compared to tattoos. I think the sentence engraved on the ring worn by Vera Nell in the American drama “Killing Eve” – It’s not what they think of me that counts, it’s what I think of them – is the best illustration of this point.
People in countries where an aristocracy exists wear rings engraved to symbolize their status. However, I don’t recommend engraving your ring with a noble family crest, as this is a very complex pattern that is not suitable for most people in most countries to wear in their daily lives, and is only worn at family gatherings where it would not be particularly obtrusive. What I would rather recommend that you have engraved on your ring are your initials, which would look unique and simple at the same time.
