RINGS (Jewellery)

A ring , a circular band made mostly of metal and worn as ornamental jewellery, is a ring. A “ring” is jewellery that is worn on the finger. However, when it’s worn as ornamental jewelry, the body part of the term (e.g., earrings, neck and arm rings, and toe rings) are specified. Rings are designed to fit snugly around the ornamented part of the body. For example, a bracelet is not a ring. You can make a ring from almost any hard material, including bone and stone. They also come in metal, glass, gem, or wood. You can set them with gemstones such as diamond, ruby, sapphire, or any other type of stone or glass.

While some people wear rings solely as ornaments or conspicuously displaying wealth, others use them to symbolize marriage, extraordinary achievement, high status, authority, or membership in an organisation. You can make a ring with a logo, which may be imprinted on a wax seal or equipped with a small compartment to conceal items.

History

From the 3rd millennium BC Indus valley civilization, rings and other jewelry such as earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and pendants were discovered. Lothal (India) 

Ancient Near East

In tombs found in Ur, rings have been found dating back to around 2500 BC.

Classical and archaic Greek

Archaic Greek rings had some influence from Egyptian rings. However, they were less durable than the ones made in Egypt. 

The classical period saw a shift from bronze to silver and more gold. The most common design was a lozenge-bezel mounted an intaglio device.

Roman Rings

The earliest and middle imperial eras (first two centuries BC) saw a thick hoop tapering into a wider bezel. This was the typical Roman ring. 

High and Late Middle Ages in Europe

It was common for multiple rings to be worn on each finger and hand during this time. It was common for several rings to be worn on each finger and hand during this time.

Ring location

Every finger had a symbol association or meaning used to place a ring.

The custom of wearing marriage, engagement, and wedding rings is to use the fourth digit of the left hand, or the ring finger, in most of the world. However, this custom was established during World War II.

The ‘ring finger’ is the fourth finger of the left hand. This is a result of an old belief that the left hand’s ring finger is connected to the heart via a vein called the Vena amoris. This belief was popularized in 16th- and 17th-century England when Henry Swinburne mentioned it in his book on marriage.

Sometimes rings can be repurposed to hang from necklaces or bracelets. 

The signet rings are traditionally worn on the left pinky finger or little finger. 

A birthday stone ring or a birthstone band is worn on the first finger in the right hand. It indicates the month and the day of the week the bearer was born.

The meaning of amulet rings is varied. They can be used for protection (pentacle rings) or to enhance personal attributes such as wisdom, confidence, and social status. They can be worn on different fingers depending on the ring’s purpose or the stone set’s attributes. While it was believed that certain amulet rings could be worn on particular fingers to enhance their power, most people wear them on any finger they can fit.

Thumb rings were worn originally to protect the thumb against injury from the arrows being launched and are a sign that you’re an archer.

Size

The ISO standard specifies ring size as the inner circumference, measured in millimeters. However, many countries still use traditional systems of sizing. Sizing beads are small metal beads that are added to the ring’s inner surface to keep it in place against the fingers. They have the advantage of being easy to add or remove.

Notable individual rings

• Hans Reinhart-Ring is a Swiss theatre award
• The signet ring of the Pope, the Ring of the Fisherman
• Chequers Ring– A ring that belonged to Elizabeth I, England

In myth and fiction

• Ring of Gyges is a legendary ring of invisibility that Plato mentions
• Andvaranaut is a Norse mythological cursed ring that can turn gold into gold.
• Magic Ring, A ring with magical properties
• Draupnir is a self-multiplying gold ring that was depicted in Norse mythology
• The One Ring is one of the Rings of Power, a J. R. R. Tolkien book, The Hobbit.

Safety

This is a method to remove a ring. A ring may pose a safety risk if it is made from a stronger material than your hand, completely encircles your digits, or catches on to an immovable object. This could lead to serious injury (degloving), amputation, or ring avulsion.

The wearer could be injured if a ring is caught on rotating machinery or falls on a stationary object. Some workplaces require that employees remove their rings while performing specific tasks or in certain areas. Despite the ring’s symbolic appeal as a solid band around the finger, modern jewelers are sometimes known to modify rings such that, at worst, they only tear the flesh of the wearer’s finger in cases like those mentioned above.[citation needed] Such “breakaway” modifications have not yet achieved popularity as standard designs.

If you are injured near a ring, it is important to remove the ring immediately. Trying to pull off a ring too forcefully can cause more swelling. Relax, elevation, icing, and lubrication are the best ways to reduce swelling. You can also rotate the ring like it was unscrewed. These methods may need to be revised. You can temporarily wrap your finger with a string (like dental floss) and pass the thread’s inner end under the ring. Then, unwrap the ring and push it ahead of the string. If that fails, a doctor might be able to remove the ring by wrapping it with a slick string (such as dental floss), passing the inner end of the thread under, and then unwrapping it. Then push your ring ahead of the unwrapping string.