Rings

A ring is normally worn by both genders and is usually made of gold, silver, plastic, wood, glass, or any other material. They are circular and are designed to fit the fingers usually having a gem set on it. Usually, jewelers use a precious or semi-precious stone such as sapphire, emerald, topaz and the like. Most users wear the rings on what is known as the ring finger on the left hand. In Western cultures, the conventional ring finger is the finger between the middle and small finger (pinkie).

There are several types of rings. The types are mainly dependent on the user and its purpose. Some of the descriptions for these rings are summarized so that the reader can easily identify them when visiting other countries with varied cultures and practices. However, some ring types are so applicable to all that it is not just practiced by one geographical region but also in other parts of the world as well.

A championship ring is a specially designed ring awarded to members of a winning team or in leagues of professional sports and North American college tournaments too. Such rings are used as prizes or team mementos in football competitions in what viewers would normally see in Superbowl tournaments.

A class ring is manufactured for a batch of graduating students, usually for college graduates. The ring is engraved with the university seal they have graduated from and the course the wearer finished.

For singles, there is such as thing as Claddagh Ring, also known as Irish friendship rings. The person who wears this shows that he or she is currently free to engage in romantic relationships. A modern version of this is the Single’s Ring being marketed in Western countries and slowly being accepted by Eastern countries too.

A rosary ring is usually worn by Catholics. This ring has a small cross on its surface with 10 indentations which represents one entire mystery. So, for every mystery prayed using the rosary ring, the wearer has to go over the ring five times to finish one entire rosary.

For married couples, a wedding ring is worn to indicate that they have entered into a marriage contract. Prior to this, a man will gift his intended bride with an engagement ring. However, for couples who want to show that they are already in a relationship, they could wear a promise ring which is the opposite of a Claddagh ring. There is also a ring called Regards ring which is an engagement ring during the Victorian age. The Regards name is an acronym for the gems ruby, emerald, garnet, amethyst, ruby, diamond and sapphire.

In some religious groups, the believers could wear purity rings which signify their chastity or purity. An Ecclesiastic ring is exclusively worn by religious persons who are in high posts such as bishops and popes. For the members of the royalty, a signet ring is worn on the small finger of the noble class either on the left or right hand.

These are just some of the rings one may encounter over time. There are surely one or more types of ring a person will come to possess during their lifetime