Ring (jewellery)

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A finger ring is a band worn as type of ornamental jewellery around a finger; it is the most common current meaning of the word ring. Other types of metal bands worn as ornaments are also called rings, such as arm rings and neck rings.

Rings are worn by both men and women and can be of any quality. Rings can be made of metal, plastic, wood, bone, glass, gemstone and other materials. They may be set with a "stone" of some sort, which is often a precious or semi-precious gemstone such as ruby, sapphire or emerald, but can also be of almost any material.

There are various methods for determining proper ring size. Some of the largest rings in the world are made for the winning team of the Super Bowl. The unofficial record for the largest championship ring ever presented to a professional sports team belongs to the 2003 World Series champions Florida Marlins, with a weight of over 110 grams and with over 240 stones.

Rings can be worn on any finger, even on toes. In Western culture, the traditional "ring finger" for the wearing of an engagement or wedding ring is the fourth finger of the left hand (with the thumb counting as finger number one). The signet ring, a ring designating nobility, is commonly worn on the little (fifth) finger of the right or left hand, depending on nationality. In traditional Hausa culture (Nigerian) a ring given to a woman by a man other than her husband places her under his control for as long as she consents to wear it.

Special types of finger ring

Ring	Usage
Aqiq ring	A carnelian ring worn by some Muslims, especially Shi'ah, in imitation of Muhammad and the twelve Imams.
Championship Ring	A ring presented to members of winning teams in professional sports leagues as well as college tournaments in North America.
Claddagh Ring	An Irish friendship ring. It is traditionally used to indicate the state of romantic availability.
Class ring	Worn by students and alumni in commemoration of their graduation.
Dinner ring	An oversized ring, set with precious or semiprecious stones.
Ecclesiastical ring	A ring worn by clerics and other religious persons, notably a Bishop's ring worn by an (arch)bishop of the Roman Catholic, Anglican and other Christian churches.
Engagement ring	A traditional ring worn by a woman to indicate her engagement to be married.
Engineer's Ring	A ring worn by engineers on the pinky finger of their working hand to remind them of their ethical obligations.
Eternity ring	A ring symbolising eternity with a partner.
Finger Armor Ring	Typically it spans from the base of the finger to just below the nail or middle of the second joint and includes a bending joint.
Magic ring	A fictitious ornament that appears frequently in fantasy stories and fairy tales.
Mood ring	A novelty ring which changes color in response to body temperature, using a thermochromic liquid crystal.
Mother's Ring	A ring worn by a mother displaying the birthstone of each of her children, and sometimes including those of the mother and father.
Mourning ring	A ring worn in memory of someone who has died.
Multi-Finger ring	Two or more conjoined rings, designed to be worn across two, three, or four fingers; popularized by hip-hop culture.	Pinky Ring A ring worn on the pinky finger.	Posie Ring	A ring with a short inscription on its outer surface.
Promise ring	A small, inexpensive ring given to a boyfriend or girlfriend, to promise not to court a rival.
Purity ring	A symbol of virginity in some religious cultures.
Puzzle ring	Interlocking rings forming a single band; difficult to reassemble if removed from the finger.
Pillbox ring or Poisoners ring	A Ring consisting of a pillbox fitted into the ring, either for keeping medication or poison.
Regards ring	A Victorian engagement ring with an implicit acrostic: Ruby, Emerald, Garnet, Amethyst, Ruby, Diamond, Sapphire.
Rosary ring	A rosary ring is a ring worn around the finger with 10 indentations and a cross on the surface, representing one decade of a rosary. The rings are used to keep track of place in the prayer by rotating the ring on a finger and feeling the marks.
Signet ring	An emblematic, often familial, ring, often bearing a coat of arms, fit for use to imprint a wax seal on documents etc.
Sovereign ring	A typically large, gold ring, set with a gold sovereign as its decorative feature.
Story of O ring	A ring inspired by the "Story of O", Pauline Reage's novel, in which the heroine, "The O" is presented with such a ring as a symbol of her submission.
Watch ring	A small analog watch to be worn around a finger.
Wedding ring	A ring presented in many marriage ceremonies to signify marital commitment. Originally worn only by the woman, it is now common for both spouses to wear such a ring.

Notable individual rings

The bearer of the Iffland-Ring disposes the ring by will to someone who he regards as the most significant German-speaking actor.
Hans-Reinhart-Ring
The Ring of the Fisherman, the signet ring of the Pope.
The One Ring, one of the Rings of Power that a hobbit Frodo Baggins had to take to Mount Doom in J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy novel The Lord of the Rings.

Ring (jewellery)

Special types of finger ring

Notable individual rings

See also