A finger ring is a band worn as a type of ornamental jewellery (silver
jewelry or sterling silver 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 (like Silver, Gold etc.), 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.
Types of rings
Finger rings
In Western culture, the traditional "ring finger" for the wearing of an
engagement ring or wedding ring is the fourth finger (with the thumb counting as
finger number one). Which hand wears the ring depends on the country, with
orthodox countries (but also Poland) using the right hand and others using the
left hand. The signet ring, a ring designating nobility, is commonly worn on the
little (fifth) finger. 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.
Finger ring shapes and styles
Various ring shapes and styles exist. The following are but a few.
Flat wedding bands are the simplest form of ring that can be made.
A flat wedding band basically consists of a strip of metal (silver jewelry or
sterling silver jewellery) that is bent around and soldered where the ends
meet.
Half-round rings, also called D-shape rings, are flat wedding bands
that are filed half-round on the outside.
Sleeve rings are rings that consist of a thin inner ring or sleeve,
with several other rings stacked onto it to form one solid ring. The rings can
either be soldered onto the sleeve or the ends of the sleeve can be upset
(like a tube rivet) to keep them all together. A little of both can also be
done.
Solitaire rings are rings with a single large stone, usually a
diamond, set in the center.
Eternity rings are rings with stones, usually diamonds, of the same
cut and size, set in one row all around the ring. The stones are usually round
or square, and the setting is usually either claws or a channel setting. When
the stones do not continue around the entire ring, but stop halfway down the
finger, it is called a half-eternity ring.
Cluster rings are rings with a group of stones in a cluster
setting, forming the focal point of the ring. The cluster setting usually
consists of one large stone (usually round or oval) in the center surrounded
with several smaller stones.
Toe rings
Toe rings are smaller rings worn on any of the toes.
Trivia
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 containing over
240 stones.