History of Rings

For many reasons finger rings may be considered as the most interesting of all objects of jewelry, because of the widespread personal interest which attaches to them. Finger rings are more particularly the product of civilization than almost any other type of jewelry because primitive man was essentially a workman and a tiller of the soil. Popularly, the greatest interest is taken in rings, because they are the visible emblems of love and marriage. Rings are also used to signify things like winners and champions, graduations, birth stone rings, and so on.

Rings are most often produced from metal. They can also be made from shell, grass, and many other materials, but metal has always and still is the most popular substance for ring making. Rings are often dressed up with precious gems and designs. Rings are worn for ornament, just as much as they are for meaning. It was popular and still is to use enameling on rings.

Rings have had military and self defense uses. Brass knuckles, and knuckle guarded trench knives probably originated from rings. Oriental rings cut from jade were used to protect the fingers from bow strings. Another use for these type of rings was for the leverage for strangling a person.

Ornamental rings naturally form the largest subdivision into which rings can be divided, especially in later times. Since silver and gold have been discovered, they have been the most popular material to make rings out of. Throughout the history of rings, the material that your’ ring was made from often times signified your’ class or position in society.

Rings containing poison, either in a small receptacle under the bezel or in the bezel itself, were not uncommon during the sixteenth century in Europe. Often times the poison rings were used to poison other people, by spilling the poison in an enemy’s drink or food. The poison ring was also sometimes used for suicidal purposes. Escaping torture or capture by way of poison ring was not uncommon. This type of ring has also been used to hide illegal substances in more recent times. Small amounts of marijuana, cocaine, or explosives can easily concealed in one of these types of rings.