Information about Class Ring

A class ring (also known as a graduate, senior ring, or grad, ring) is a ring worn by students and alumni to commemorate their graduation, generally for a high school, college, or university.

Significance

Today these rings are often personalized by each student, although in years past they were uniform to the school's standard, and only the year would change. A typical class ring depends upon the gender of the person wearing the ring; men's rings are larger than women's. The color is usually gold; however, even that can differ from school to school, and students can order their ring in white gold, silver, or various non-precious metal alloys. The center stone is traditionally one of the school's colors, but the size and cut can be individually customized to the student's desire (as well as the size of the ring). Jostens, Balfour, Herff Jones, and ArtCarved are four major companies that sell class rings to students.

Personalization

Color

• White gold or gold are the traditional metals
• A satin finish shows the entire ring in gold
• An antique finish uses a black enamel to highlight the details of the ring
• Many rings are available in two-tone (white and yellow Gold)
• Silver rings are available from some schools and companies
• Higher-end rings are sometimes offered in platinum
• Sometimes, rings are offered in non-precious metal alloys

Top

• Most rings will have the name of the school engraved in a circular pattern around the stone (this is simpler for the usually larger men's ring).
• Some rings have encrusting on the stone or visible through the stone, symbols such as their zodiac sign, initial or a school symbol or crest.

Karats

• 10 karat gold
• 14 karat gold
• 18 karat gold

Color

• As stated above, the traditional color for the ring is the school's primary color
• Many people also opt for the color of their birthstone

Shape

• Rectangle
• Oval
• squared

Cut

• Many times the ring will have cuts inside the stone to give off an extra shine or sparkle; these can vary by company and personal desire

Sides

• The year of graduation is generally engraved somewhere on the ring
• Usually the school's logo, insignia, or motto will be on one side of the ring
• Often a student's academic or social organizations will be on the opposite side of the ring
• Fraternities and sororities
• Honor societies
• Sports teams
• Extracurricular activities
• Clubs/civic organizations

Underside

• Many students have their name, initials, or nickname engraved on the underside of the ring, underneath the stone

Cost

• $100 - $2,000

How to wear

The class ring is usually worn on the ring finger of the right hand, as the ring finger of the left hand is reserved for a wedding band in many cultures (however, more than a few persons wear their class ring on the same finger as the wedding ring with the wedding ring slightly beveled in order for both rings to properly fit together, this is the traditional manner of wearing a class ring from a US service academy).

According to the Complete Book of Etiquette by Amy Vanderbilt, the ring should always be worn so that the insignia faces the wearer when his or her arm is outstretched (p. 156). Many high schools and universities have their own traditions, however. At many schools, the user wears the ring so that the insignia faces the wearer while they are still completing school, and then turns the ring around facing outward at graduation or another symbolic event during the senior year. This "turning of the ring" represents the user being ready to face the world.

Receiving a Class Ring

When a student receives his or her class ring depends on their particular school or region. Ring ceremonies are a popular event, in which the students order their rings through the school and receive them in a ceremony in which the students make a pledge to the school, usually a simple pledge, promising to represent the school in a positive manner.

High school

• In some high schools, class rings can be ordered as soon as a student begins class as a freshman. It is worn as an identifier, to tie classmates together through their four years in school.
• The beginning of the junior year is also a common time for students to receive their class ring. It marks their status as an "upperclassman" and the beginning of preparation to apply for and transition to college.
• The beginning of the senior year is another common time for students to receive their class ring. It becomes a symbol of their status as the graduating class.
• A few schools prefer to wait until graduation. Students receive their rings at their graduation ceremony. At this time it is a graduation ring, and is symbolic of the completion of school, the ring marks the wearer as an alumnus or alumna.
• Especially in high school, a boyfriend and girlfriend may exchange class rings. The boy usually wears the girl's class ring on his pinky finger, while the girl wears the boy's class ring around her neck on a golden chain.
• Most high schools do not have a ring ceremony. Students may receive their rings in the mail or pick them up during a set delivery time. In this case they simply begin wearing the rings as they please.
• Most high schools do not have a specific ring which all students' wear. High school class rings are the most varied and individualized, often no two students in the school will have the same ring. Typically high school class rings feature the wearer's birthstone rather than the school color/stone.
• Typically high school graduates wear their class rings for only a few years before and after graduation. At that time it is usually replaced with a college/university class ring or simply removed and placed in storage as a keepsake. Rings are often brought out of storage and worn for class reunions.

College/University

• College and universities tend to be more formal in their rules about class rings. Most require students to have 60 or more credits (junior class status) before they can purchase an official class ring, and are more likely to have formal ceremonies for students to receive their rings. They are also more likely to require students to wait for impending graduation to receive rings.
• Colleges and universities are also more likely to have one or two official class rings, standard for all students. They offer fewer personalized features than high school class rings. However, students who do not want one of the designs selected by the university can order custom rings with more personalization possibilities.
• Students who graduate from prestigious college or university programs often wear their class rings for the rest of their lives. Graduates of less prestigious programs are more likely to leave off wearing their class ring a few years after graduation.

Trivia

• The tradition of class rings started with the class of 1835 at West Point.

• The X-Ring, which is synonymous with Canada's St. Francis Xavier University (StFX) in Nova Scotia, is awarded to the graduating class at StFX. The tradition of the ring dates back to 1942. The first X-Ring Ceremony was held in October 1958. Michael Sweeney still has his.
• Neil Armstrong's Purdue University Class of 1955 ring, which he took with him to the moon, is on display on Purdue's campus today.
• Herff Jones usually conducts a ring ceremony at high schools in which the students spin the ring the amount of years the tradition has started minus one to the left and on the last turn to the right.
• The MIT class ring, known as the Brass Rat, traditionally has no stone.
• One especially unusual ring is that of Regent University, which not only has no stone, but has the emblem reversed. See this page for pictures and an explanation of why the rings are so designed. Strictly speaking, this is not a class ring; its design is standard for all graduates of the school (men's and women's versions are available), and it has no engraving on the side. Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia, also hands out class rings with no stone and a reversed image of the school crest. Regent founder Pat Robertson is a W&L graduate, which may have inspired him to use such a ring for his school.

See also

• Brass Rat
• NTH Ring
• Aggie Ring

External links

The following companies are ring makers in the United States and Canada for class rings:

• Academic
• ArtCarved
• Balfour
• Bogart Enterprizes
• Herff Jones
• Intergold
• Jecstar
• Jostens
• National Achiever Services
• Sell class rings
• Dunham MFG .::Custom Class Rings up to 50% off Competitors pricing!::.