Chapter XII: Part 12

These so-called “cramp-rings,” long regarded in England as specifics for the cure of cramps and convulsions, and even of epileptic attacks, owed their virtue, as has been stated, to the royal blessing. Polydore Vergil, writing in 1534, in the reign of Henry VIII, asserts that the original cramp-ring was brought to Edward the Confessor shortly before his death by some persons who came from Jerusalem. This very ring had been given by Edward, many years before, to a beggar, who had craved alms of the King for the love he bore St. John the Evangelist. The historian appears to regard the return of the ring as a warning to the King of his approaching death. When Edward was interred in Westminster, this ring was placed in that church,[563] and it became an object of great veneration there, for it cured those suffering from paralysis or epilepsy, if they touched it. From this time, says Polydore Vergil, the kings of England adopted the practice of consecrating, on Good Friday, similar rings, which received the name of “cramp-rings” from their special efficacy.[564] Confirmation of the exercise of this rite of consecration by Henry VIII after the establishment of the English Church is given by Andrew Borde, who writes in 1542 as follows: “The Kynges of Englande doth halowe every yere Crampe rynges the whyche rynges, worne on ones fynger, dothe helpe them the whyche hath the Crampe.”[565]

Cramp rings appear to have been consecrated by Henry VIII both before and after his breach with the Roman Church, for in 1529 Anne Boleyn wrote to Bishop Gardiner, then in Rome, that she was sending him cramp rings for himself and certain of his friends.[566] After the death of Henry, Bishop Gardiner wrote to Ridley that he trusted the young king (Edward VI) would not neglect to continue the usage. However, as we have no information that such rings were consecrated during Edward’s reign (1547–1553), it seems probable that the practice was discontinued.[567] In the early part of Mary’s reign (1553–1558), a special Latin service for the consecration of cramp rings was drawn up, some extracts from which are here translated:[568]

The rings lying in one basin or more, this prayer is to be said over them: “O God, the creator of all celestial and terrestrial creations, the restorer of the human race, and the bestower of all blessings, send Thy Holy Spirit, the Paraclete, from heaven upon these rings made by the hand of man, and deign to so purify them by Thy power, that all the corruption of the envious and venomous serpent being expelled, the metal created by Thee in Thy goodness may remain untainted by all the stains of the enemy. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”

Benediction: O God, who in every disease hast always shown miracles of Thy power, and who hast willed that rings should be a pledge of faith for Judah, a priestly ornament for Aaron, a symbol of a faithful custodian for Darius, and a remedy for various diseases in this reign, graciously vouchsafe to sanctify + and to bless + these rings; that all who wear them may be protected from the wiles of Satan and armed with the virtue of a celestial guardianship; and that they shall neither be menaced by convulsions nor by danger of epilepsy, but shall find by Thy succor, alleviation of all manner of diseases. In the name of the Father +, of the Son +, and of the Holy Spirit +. Amen.

A manuscript owned by the late Cardinal Wiseman described the ceremonies of the service under this heading: “Certain prayers to be used by the Quene’s Heighnes in the Consecration of the Cramp-rynges.” There is also an illuminated design showing Queen Mary as she knelt at the ceremony, a dish filled with the rings being set on either side of her. King Philip was also present to take part in the ceremonial, although the Queen’s share in the consecration must have been regarded as the principal one; still Philip’s fervent devotion to the church ritual found expression here as elsewhere, for on entering the chapel he is said to have crept on his knees along a carpet extending from the entrance to the place where the rings were to be blessed. Here a crucifix had been placed on a cushion, and the King, still in a kneeling attitude, bestowed his royal blessing on the rings. This intensely devout approach to them was then repeated by Queen Mary and the ladies who attended her to the chapel.[569]

A talismanic ring especially valuable for a physician is described by Konrad von Megenberg. This is to be of silver and set with a stone bearing the figure of a man with a bundle of herbs hanging from his neck. The wearer is given the power to diagnose diseases, and he will be able to stanch any hemorrhage, however severe, if he only touch the affected part with the stone. As a natural result, we learn that the physician will gain both reputation and honors, and it is related that Galen, the great Roman medical authority, wore such a ring.[570]

In the “Gesta Romanorum” is a story of a ring endowed with great remedial powers:

A certain king had three sons and one precious stone. When the hour of his death had come, he reflected that his sons would dispute for the possession of the stone. Now he loved one of his three sons better than the others, wherefore he caused three similar rings to be made and two glass imitations resembling the precious stone; he then had the three stones set in their respective rings. Lest his plan should fail, the father called his three sons to him, and gave to each the ring destined for him, giving the best one to the son he most loved. After the father’s death each of the sons declared that he had the ring with the precious stone. Hearing this, a sage said: “Let us make a test, for that ring which can cure disease is the most precious.” The test was made, and two of the rings had no effect, but that with the precious stone cured the disease; whence it became manifest which of the sons had been best loved by his father.[571]

It was this mediæval tale that suggested to the German dramatic poet and critic, Lessing, the celebrated parable of the three rings, which he puts into the mouth of Nathan the Sage,[572] in answer to Saladin’s question as to whether the true religion was Judaism, Christianity or Mohammedanism. Nathan likens them to the three rings given by the father to his sons, the secret as to which was the genuine magic ring being hidden from them. Pursuing the parable, he makes the sons, after the father’s death, bring their dispute before a court of justice. The judge having heard the testimony, at first declares that it is impossible for him to determine which of the rings is the genuine one; then, after a moment’s thought, he recalls the statement that the hearts of all will be drawn toward him who has it, and asks which of the brothers is most loved by the other two. They are honest enough to confess in turn that each loves himself the best. Thereupon the judge adjourns the case for a few thousand years, during which the race that has shown the greatest virtues will become the favored one, and thus prove that its ring was the true one.

Mediæval superstition did not shrink from the belief that some magicians had such power over the spirits of evil that they could force a demon to take up his abiding-place in a ring, and rings of this kind were thought to be powerful medical amulets. In classic times also medicine-rings were known and used, one having been given by Augustus to his son-in-law Agrippa.[573]

It was not uncommon in the Middle Ages for a pharmacist to make an impression from a signet upon his prescription as a guarantee that it had been prepared by a trustworthy person. A fine specimen of this type of ring is one that belonged to a certain Donobertus.[574] It was found at St. Chamant, dept. Corrèze, in 1867. The material is gold and the ring was set with an antique carnelian around which is engraved on the gold bezel a circular inscription signifying “Donobertus has made this medicine.” The supposition is that, as in so many cases, the functions of the physician and pharmacist were here exercised by the same person.[575]

At the trial of Jeanne d’Arc, her judges questioned her closely regarding certain magic rings she was asserted to have worn. From the tenor of the questions we can infer that Jeanne was accused of having used the rings for the cure of diseases and also that they were believed to have been set with charmed stones.

Interrogated as to whether she had any rings, Jeanne replied: “You have one of mine; give it back to me.” She added that the Burgundians had taken away another, and requested that if the judges had the firstmentioned ring in their possession they should show it to her. When questioned as to who had given her the ring taken by the Burgundians, Jeanne answered that she had received it in Domremy, either from her father or her mother, and that she believed it was inscribed with the names “Jhesus Maria.” She did not know who had made the inscription and did not believe there was any stone in the ring. She strenuously denied ever having cured anyone by means of her rings. It is characteristic of the simple straightforward way in which Jeanne refuted the accusation of witchcraft that she charged her judges to give to the church the ring in their possession.[576]

In 1802 there was found in Coventry Park an ancient gold ring, weighing 1 oz., 13 dwts., 8 grains, and bearing a number of religious designs. In the central division was depicted Christ rising from the tomb, the hammer, ladder, sponge and other emblems of the Passion being shown in the background. In two compartments on either side were graven the five wounds, with the following Old English legends: “the well of everlasting lyffe,” “the well of confort,” “the well of gracy,” “the well of pity,” “the well of merci.” Still existent traces evidenced that black enamel had been used in the figure of Christ, and red enamel to picture the wounds and the drops of blood. Inside the hoop ran the following legend: “Vulnera quinq. dei sunt medicina mei, pia crux et passio xpi sunt medicina mihi. Jaspar, Melchior, Baltasar, ananyzapta tetragrammaton.” The whole signifying that the wounds and Passion of Christ were to serve as remedial agents for the wearer, the healing virtue of the ring being strengthened by the names of the Three Kings, by an enigmatic Gnostic epithet, and by the tetragrammaton, or the four Hebrew letters forming the Ineffable Name. A series of sixteen mourning rings “of fyne Gold,” bequeathed by Sir Edmond Shaw, Alderman of London, by his will made about 1487, were “to be graven with the well of pitie, the well of mercie, and the well of everlasting life.”[577]

It has been conjectured that the names of the Magi, the “Three Kings,” Gaspar, Melchior and Balthazar, which nowhere appear in the Scriptures, may have been originally titles or epithets of Mithras, signifying respectively “White One,” “King of Light,” and “Lord of Treasures.”[578] The invocation or inscription of these names was, in early Christian and mediæval times, believed to have great curative effect, more especially against epilepsy, and hence they were often engraved on rings. A number of these may be seen in the British Museum. Cologne Cathedral has been and still is the great centre of attraction for all devotees of the Three Kings, for their remains are said to have been brought there in 1162 from Milan, whither they had been miraculously conveyed long before from Constantinople.

Medicinal rings were often used in the reign of Elizabeth, and one was given to this queen by Lord Chancellor Hatton. Writing to Sir Thomas Smith, under date of September 11, 158-, Hatton says: “I am likewise bold to recommend my most humble duty to our dear mistress [Queen Elizabeth] by this letter and ring, which hath the virtue to expell infectious airs, and is (as it telleth me) to be worn between the sweet duggs, the chaste nest of pure constancy. I trust, sir, when the virtue is known, it shall not be refused for the value.”[579] This rather coarse flattery would not offend the Virgin Queen, who habitually indulged in very plain speaking.

A diamond ring said by a faithful courtier to have brought him health and strength when he was at death’s door, was one sent by King James I to Thomas Sackvil, Duke of Dorset, High Treasurer both under Elizabeth and James. When, early in June, 1607, news was brought the king that his Treasurer was so dangerously ill that his life was despaired of, he sent him a rich gold ring set with twenty diamonds, five of which were so disposed as to form a cross. With the ring James sent a special message, expressing the hope that Sackvil would recover and might live as long as the diamond in the ring endured. This proof of his sovereign’s favor called the patient back to life, according to his own narration.[580]

Convulsions and fits were believed to be cured by rings made of a silver coin representing the value of a number of smaller pieces of money, sixpences or even pennies, collected at the church door from those who had just been present at a communion service. Should this have taken place on Easter Sunday, the value and efficacy of the talismanic ring made from the offering were much enhanced. A less religious source for a silver ring of this kind has been reported. Five bachelors were to contribute a sixpence apiece, and a bachelor was then to convey the silver to a blacksmith who was also unmarried and who was to make the ring. An absolute requisite, however, was that none of the voluntary contributors should have the slightest idea of the destination of his sixpence.[581]

For the cure of ulcers, Johannes Agricola advises the wearing of rings made from solidified quicksilver, during a conjunction of the moon with the planet Mercury; these rings were to be worn on the side opposite to that afflicted with the ulcer.[582] This might suggest some vague idea of the fact that the right hemisphere of the brain controls the left side of the body, and _vice versa_, although if the effect of the ring was to be transmitted by reflex action of the brain, the stimulus must of course, proceed from the afflicted side. It is said that if a remedial potion were stirred about with the ring finger, the heart would quickly realize the presence of poison, and would thus give warning against drinking it; the fourth finger was therefore sometimes called the “medical finger.”[583]

The idea that the ring possessed a mystic restraining power finds expression in the curious custom of the Bagobos of the Philippine Islands, who encircle the wrists and ankles of the dangerously ill with rings of brass wire, in the belief that these serve to keep the soul from taking its flight.[584] An analogous, although apparently contradictory impulse induces the Greek inhabitants of the island of Scarpanto (Carpathus), near Rhodes, to take off all rings from a dead person lest the soul should be bound to the body even after death; the pressure of a ring on the little finger being sufficient to interfere with the freedom of the spirit.[585] Similar beliefs obtained as to the secret binding power of knots.

Two views, closed and open

Albert Figdor Collection, Vienna]

Beneath the watch is the maker’s name, Kossek in Prague. The
movement is regulated by a slide at one side; the hole for the
watch key is on the lower side. Enameled leaf-work decoration.
Two views

Albert Figdor Collection, Vienna]

1. WATCH RING, SET WITH DIAMONDS
2. WATCH RING, SET WITH PEARLS

Showing the dial and the movement of the balance staff Eighteenth
Century]

Side and front views]

A ring made from the hoof of a wild ass was supposed to possess medicinal virtue, and one made from the hoof of a rhinoceros, if placed on the finger, was believed to cure certain nervous disorders. A ring of rhinoceros-horn was a still more powerful remedial agent and its wear was favored in India as an antidote for poisons and to cure convulsions or spasms.[586] A ring made from the hoof of the elk possessed similar virtues, and cramps in the legs would be cured if the afflicted part were merely touched with such a ring.

As to the mode in which the elk-hoof should be used for curative rings for epilepsy, the old authorities differed, Goclenius affirming that a piece of the hoof should be set in a ring, while others believed that the entire ring should be turned out of this material. The proper way of wearing it was to place it on the fourth finger, so that it could come in contact with the palm of the hand. The choice of the particular hoof was also matter for debate, some favoring that of the left hind foot and others that of the right one. Rings set with teeth of the sea-horse were recommended by Johann Michaëles, a famous physician of Leipsic. A ring made of pure silver, of “the moon,” as the astrologers said, if set in a piece of elk-hoof, under the zodiacal sign of Pisces and during a favorable conjunction of the planets, would prove a certain cure for epilepsy and all brain diseases.[587]

The Tyrolean hunters have the same superstitious fancy as to the talismanic power of an antelope’s tooth set in a ring as is (or was) held in some other parts of the world regarding elks’ teeth set in rings. Of the Tyrolean rings, four examples were disposed at the sale in New York in 1913, of the fine collections of Mr. A. W. Drake.[588]

A gold ring specially designed for a physician’s use in counting pulse-beats is to be seen in the collection of Dr. Albert Figdor, Vienna. It is set with a watch, below which, on the bezel, is inscribed the name of the watchmaker, Kossek in Prague. The aperture for the insertion of the watch key is on the lower side, and there is a slide for regulating the movement of the little timepiece.[589]

Among healing rings none might be thought to promise better results than the “electric rings,” made of an amalgam of copper and some other metal, which are sold to a considerable extent, their curative power being supposedly derived from an electric charge, or a generation of electricity. Whatever good effects may have been observed as a result of the use of such rings, presumably few would be inclined to deny that one of the active agents in the cure was the faith of the wearer, which assuredly would fortify or supplement the beneficial effects of electric emanations, where the mind was firmly impressed with the conviction that a curative power existed in the ring.

CHAPTER IX

RING MAKING

The modern methods of ring manufacture in the United States are far different from those of the past, due to an endeavor to keep pace with the growth of the country and with an increase in production. Owing to the introduction of modern systems, great quantities of an article can now be sold, which, though not preserving the character of the finest handiwork, yet cost so much less to produce that they can now be offered at greatly reduced prices.

In the manufacture of the modern ring, there is first prepared a design, or even a model. The initial process consists in cutting this object exactly as it will appear when it is finished,--or such parts of it as are made by measure,--on what is known as a “hub” made of soft steel. When the design is finally completed, it is hardened by heating and then by dipping into water, oil or other solution. When the metal hub has been hardened, it is forced into a mass of soft steel by great pressure, usually hydraulic, producing a die, as it is termed, on which all the ornamentation is the reverse of that on the desired object. This die is then hardened.

The die is placed on the stand of the drop press, the upperweight strikes it and forces the metal into it; this requires from four or five to seven or eight operations. Each time the metal is struck it is annealed, then restruck and again annealed, until the ring is ready for trimming. This trimming removes all the superfluous metal, and the ring is then in condition for the jeweller to bend it into a complete circle.

In the manufacture of many rings, the metal first receives a special form. The gold plates are blanked and rolled to a definite thickness according to the pattern of the ring desired, the width being controlled by screws attached to the rolls themselves. To obtain the exact width, the measure in which it is placed can be adjusted to cut a strip of metal from a millimeter, or thinner, up to several inches in width. It is slid over a roll and two wheels with sharp edges separate the mass of gold into exactly the desired widths. The gauges are so exact as in one instance to provide 16 variations to a millimeter, approximately 1/25 of an inch. Another screw gauge is so delicate that it can be adjusted to the four-thousandth of an inch.

Each piece is then put in a cutter exactly the outline of the desired piece, which, for a ring, is usually quite flat. The piece of metal then drops into a cutting box and a number can be struck out successively by simply raising the press and allowing the cutter to come down. The metal is now placed in another roll, which, in the case of the signet ring, rolls the sides thinner than the head. When this process is completed the product is put in a gauge measure which measures the length of the ring from 0.4 to size 13, on Allen’s standard gauge. The ends of the metal are then cut off so that the ring is approximately the desired size, and the ends are annealed or soldered without any further operation.

1, original blank struck from plate of metal. 2, same raised,
with claws pointing upward. 3, same reduced. 4, first strike of a
one-piece ring. 5, second operation. 6, third operation. 7, 8, 9,
10, 11, 12, 13, successive stages in the manufacture of a gallery
for the ring]

SUCCESSIVE STAGES IN THE FORMATION OF A RING (MACHINE MADE) FROM
THE SHAPED, BENT, UNORNAMENTED BAR TO THE FINISHED RING]

In most cases when striking a signet-ring, the top is not cut out entirely. The gold backing of the stone is left, and the head of the ring is struck with a concave space so that when the two sides are brought down the space will remain flat. For transparent stones, the top is cut out of the setting entirely. When the rings are finally completed they are cleaned by what is known as a stripping wheel, the reverse of a plating wheel, which removes all the fire-markings, and all the other impurities that exist, leaving the metal clean.

The rings are then polished by rapidly revolving wheels of hair,--at times, of other materials. After this, the stones are set. If the rings need engraving, they are then passed to an engraver and are finally polished, leaving the metal entirely finished.

In former times, and now also, by hand methods one man would frequently make an entire ring. By modern methods, the ring passes through the hands of a number of workers: first, the blank-maker, then in succession the man who operates the drop press, the jeweller, the stone setter, the engraver, and finally, the polisher.

As to the statistics of ring-making, with the great demand throughout the United States a single factory has produced 3,000,000 rings a year, some selling for less than $1.00 each, and on up to $5.00 and $10.00 each; very occasionally for higher prices, up to $50.00 or $60.00. Recently to fill an order for a chain of popular shops, this factory turned out 2,000,000 rings to be sold at ten cents apiece. In the region of Providence, Rhode Island, and the nearby Attleboro, Mass., the total value of the annual ring output, which gives employment to some two thousand persons, is put at $5,000,000. In a factory of the largest kind, frequently the various parts for making up a ring may be kept in small boxes, because a stamper, in making an intricate ring, is able to produce more in one day than a jeweller can finish in a week. In simple rings, however, the jeweller finishes as many rings as the stamper can produce in a day.

There is no piece of jewellery that is more generally worn nor whose possession causes more joy, than a finger ring. And the proper fitting of a ring for comfort in wearing it, or to prevent its loss, which frequently would be looked upon almost as a calamity, is something that can be attained by careful adjustment to the proper size. Many fingers taper forward. In other fingers, the knuckle is very large and the third joint much smaller than the knuckle. Where the finger tapers from the joint at the hand to the tip it is frequently difficult to make a ring hold properly. But this can be done by wearing a tiny guard ring. In cases where the finger is much smaller between the third and fourth joint the ring will turn around, which is not only uncomfortable but makes the ornaments fail to show properly. This can be prevented by having the hoop penannular in shape, or by the addition of an internal spring.

To prevent the rubbing together of two rings worn on the same finger, and the resulting attrition, which in the lapse of years sometimes wears down a gold ring until the hoop becomes so thin that it may crack, a simple device has been patented. This is a narrow circlet which may be made of ivory or any other suitable material. It has a thin vertical flange just high enough to interpose between the rings that are to be kept apart, and two horizontal flanges to pass beneath the hoops of the rings.

To protect two rings from rubbing against each other, an exceedingly narrow gold circlet is worn between them. Where there is risk that a hard stone in one ring will come in contact with a pearl in the other, or a diamond with any other stone, necessarily softer, one or more very small beads are welded on that part of the hoop nearest to the setting. In cases where a treasured ring has worn almost to the thinness of paper, it is possible to strengthen it by adding gold at either side of the hoop.

Generally used in the United States for measuring accurately the
size of the ring required to fit a given finger]

2, “Display rings,” in which a succession of precious stones can
be set and tried on the fingers]

The size of the finger is often recorded by what is known as the Allen gauge, a tapering stick numbered from 1 to size 13 in half sizes. To this stick is attached a chain, and pendant to the chain is a series of rings of graduated sizes. When it is decided which ring of the series best fits the finger, it is slipped on the gauge and its size ascertained. If size 6 is a little tight and 6½ a trifle loose, this indicates that 6¼ is the correct size.

In measuring the finger for a ring, by Engelmann’s Ring, Finger and Millimeter Locking Gauge, the ring is set _over_ the _outside_ perpendicular ends of the gauge (see plate). These are then separated to their fullest extent, so that they touch the ring on both sides. The exact size of the ring is thus indicated on the scale over the mark on the movable upper part of the right-hand end.

To measure the size of a finger, the ends should be separated sufficiently to permit the finger to pass through the aperture between them. They are then to be closed so as to touch lightly--not pinch or squeeze--the flesh of the finger. When this has been done the ends are locked, and if the knuckle passes easily through the aperture, the right size has been found. This is recorded on the scale in the same way as in the ring measurement. In measuring the finger of either a child, boy, girl, or woman, who has not a large or high knuckle, a safe rule is to add a ½ _ring-size_ to that which has been indicated by the measurement.

The width of the metal ring-shank is ascertained by placing its lower, centre part between the two inside perpendicular ends, and the exact dimensions will be made apparent on the millimeter scale. Where the shank is tapered, the maximum and minimum widths must be taken, and these must both be stated in ordering a ring.

An unset stone is to be measured in the way just described, maximum and minimum widths being taken; for this purpose also, only the extreme pointed ends are to be used; these dimensions should be correctly stated when the ring is ordered.

To alter a ring to any size, place the lower, centre part of the shank _over_ the scale and estimate the width of metal to be taken off or added, respectively, by the millimeter-lines.

Where the proper measuring devices are not attainable, resource may be had to various simple expedients. For instance, a bit of copper wire can be used; one end is turned so as to form an eye, and through this the other end is drawn until the circle fits the finger; the free end is then twisted to keep it from slipping back. In this way the exact size of a finger can be obtained. It is also possible to have the wire notched so as to indicate the standard numbers of rings, or better still, to have them stamped on a narrow, flat strip of copper or steel with a slot at one end, through which the other end can be passed and turned down when the band has closely encircled the finger. Of course, these simple methods need only be resorted to when the prospective buyer is ordering a ring by mail or messenger, as jewellers are always provided with instruments for taking the exact measurement of the fingers.

A new and practical invention is that of a “display ring,” by means of which the jeweller can enable anyone who desires to order a ring, to judge of the effect of various stones when worn as ring settings. This little device is open at one end, the metal band being flexible enough to yield to slight pressure applied to both sides. In front, on either side, are two claws, which open up and grasp the stone when the pressure is relaxed. Thus one gem after another can be displayed. Sets of these display-rings are made comprising eighteen different sizes.[590]

When a ring has become painfully and injuriously tight on a finger, a simple method and often efficacious, for its removal, is to take several feet of cotton cord, soak this in soapsuds, glycerine, or oil, and pass one end of it under the ring, leaving about six inches loosely hanging down. The other end of the cord is then to be wound tightly around the finger, beginning close to the ring and continuing over the middle joint up to the end of the finger. If left on for a while, the cord compresses the flesh to such an extent that when it is unwound by pulling at the loose end hanging down from the base of the finger, the ring will be gradually and painlessly forced off. In very serious cases it is safest to file through the hoop and bend it open sufficiently to free the finger. The trifling injury to the ring can easily be repaired, leaving it in all respects in its original condition.

A ring that fits too tightly may become a source of serious injury to the wearer in course of time. This applies especially to engagement or wedding-rings, for many wearers have a sentimental, or even superstitious disinclination to remove such a ring after it has once been placed on the finger by the cherished donor. Slight as the effects appear to be, since the progressive tightening is so very gradual, there have been cases where the increasing plumpness of a hand has caused the pressure of the ring to become so intense as to induce an affection of the arm, rendering it liable to serious trouble in case of an attack of rheumatism or a severe cold. In some cases, when such a tight ring has been cut from the hand, the present writer has seen that the entire finger under the ring was an open wound, occasionally a deep one.[591]

Throughout Europe--England and the Continent--narrow gold rings are generally worn, almost invariably of 22-carat gold; among the poorer classes, the standard falls to 18-carat--never lower. In the United States the correct wedding ring is a 22-carat ring, but away from the large cities and among their less prosperous inhabitants 18-carat rings are worn to a considerable extent. These are often two, three, or four times the weight of the European 22-carat ring, flatter and sharp on the edges, thus cutting the finger. Frequently perspiration under the ring will cause the finger to become sore and infected. The narrow ring is more rounded on the inside and never infects the finger in any way.

Charges of selling illegally stamped wedding-rings have recently been preferred in a New York court. The proceedings were instituted under paragraph 431 of the Penal Law. The marking in one case was “14 Kt. ¹⁄₁₀,” this having been stated to signify that nine-tenths of the metal was 14-carat gold and one-tenth of some baser metal. The real meaning, however, appears to be that one-tenth is of 14–carat gold, the remaining nine-tenths being alloy. The ring was found to weigh 72 grains, and on being tested at the United States Assay Office, the fineness of the entire metal was determined to be 52/1000, equivalent to a fineness of but 12½ carats for the one-tenth represented to be of 14–carat gold. The utmost variation from standard permitted by the statute is one carat. The quantity of pure gold in such a ring would only be about 3¾ grains, worth a fraction over 16 cents. The rings were sold for $3.75 and $4.

An alarm ring, giving the wearer timely notice if its stone setting should fall out, has recently been invented. Beneath the stone, a needle traversing the ring is so adjusted to a coiled spring that if the stone drops out, the spring is released, and the needle-point gives a slight prick to the wearer’s finger. The idea is ingenious enough and the ring may find favor among those who value their ring-stones enough to endure a “sharp reminder” of their loss when this helps their recovery.[592]

A curious and interesting example of inlaying, is a gold ring owned by B. G. Fairchild, Esq., of New York. In the flat bezel have been inserted two winged figures, cut in intaglio on pieces of brown chalcedony. As there is no margin of stone showing about the figures, the effect is very striking, the chalcedony appearing to be naturally embedded in the gold. This is a production of antique art.

In designing a ring the goldsmith must constantly bear in mind that only the upper part, less than half the circle, will be displayed, and he should thus carefully avoid regarding the whole ring as an ornamental object and chasing or adorning the part that will not be shown. To this end he is advised to model the design in wax on the circlet itself, rather than to work from a sketch or drawing. If any plant or other nature form enters into his composition, he should, where possible, have a specimen before him while he works, so that whatever modifications or adaptations he may make will not violate the main lines of the natural type. In making a ring of solid metal, it is either cast in the desired form, or hammered from a cast. After the metal has been annealed, the design is sketched on in black water-color; it is then outlined with a small round-edged tracing-tool and the ground-work is chiselled away. The design can now be finished with chasing tools.[593]

The making of finger rings as well as of everything else has been strongly influenced by machine production. Cloth is machine-made, pictures are lithographed, lace, macaroni, and even small houses are now produced with an exactness that was never before possible. But, unfortunately, with the dominance of the “machine-made” product, the artistic quality is entirely obliterated. Rings are now made in such vast quantities that exactness of reproduction is the great aim. Thus while the initial design may possess a certain measure of originality, the single ring of the type, one out of thousands or tens of thousands stamped out of the same model, necessarily lacks that personal touch which alone can produce a truly artistic object.

Names of the Ring[594] in Various Foreign Languages.

Anglo-Saxon Hringe
Arabic Khatam, maḥbas
Babylonian Shemiru, lulimtu?
Bohemian, Serbo-Croatian Kruh, prsten
Bulgarian Prsten
Chinese Pan-chih, chih huan[595]
Danish Ring
Dutch Ring
French Anneau, bague
Gaelic (Erse) Fainne, failbeagh
German Ring
Greek, ancient Δακτύλιος, δακτυλίδιον
Greek, modern Δακτὐλιδι
Hebrew Tabba’ath, ḥotham
Hungarian (Magyar) Gyürü
Italian Anello
Icelandic Hringr
Irish Fainne
Japanese Yubi no wa
Laos Pawp Mü
Latin Anulus, anellus
Lithuanian Ziedas
Persian Angushtar (ḥaḷḳat)
Polish Piercien, krouzek
Portuguese Annel
Roumanian Inel
Russian Koltsó,[596] pérsten[597]
Ruthenian (Little Russian) Persten
Sanskrit Angulîya, anguli mudra
Serbian Prsten
Siamese New nang (nang pet)
Spanish Sortija, anillo
Sumerian MUR (KHAR)
Swedish Ring
Syriac Tab’â, ḥathmâ
Turkish (Osmanli) Yüsük, halqa
Welsh Modrwy

The following hints as to the proper pronunciation of some of the rare words in the above list have been kindly furnished by Prof. John Dyneley Prince, of Columbia University, who has also supplied several of the names:

In _prsten_ (Bulgarian, Bohemian and Serbo-Croatian), the r has a peculiar rolling sound with an inherent vowel; this cannot be correctly reproduced in English spelling. The ci of Polish _piercien_ is pronounced like the Italian ci (chee). Little Russian (Ruthenian) and Russian _persten_ means literally “finger-thing.” In the Lithuanian _ziedas_, the z is pronounced like French j, or our z and azure. The Hungarian gyürü sounds like dyü-rü; it means something rolled. The ṭ in Hebrew, Arabic and Syriac is an explosive t unknown in English; the letter rendered by the sign is a deep, guttural and faucal exhalation. Irish _fainne_ is pronounced fau-in-nye, and the Welsh _bodrwy_ is sounded as bod-roo-ee.

The word “ring,” _tabba-ath_, appears once in Genesis (xli: 42), the ring given by Pharaoh to Joseph; six times in Esther iii: 10, 12; viii: 2, 8 (bis), 10, the ring of Ahasuerus. In the New Testament the ring is mentioned once in Luke xv: 22, the ring given the Prodigal Son; and once in the Epistle of James, ii: 2. The word “rings,” as finger-rings, occurs in Exodus xxxv: 22, of the offerings of the people of Israel in the desert; in Numbers xxxi: 50; in Canticles v: 14 (this is probably to be rendered “rods”),[598] and in Isaiah iii: 21. That rings should be so rarely alluded to in the Old Testament might seem to prove that they were not as extensively worn in the land of Israel as some have assumed. The finest ancient Hebrew signet is said to be one of the time of Jeroboam II, King of Israel (790–749? B.C.), found at Megiddo. This is the seal of Shemai, the King’s Minister of State. It is of jasper and bears the finely engraved figure of a lion. The form is oval and the seal measures 3.7 by 2.7 cm.[599]

INDEX

A

Aah-hotep, Queen, signet of, 117

Abbots’ rings, 280

Abbott, Dr., Egyptian collection of, 118

Abbesses’ rings, 280

Aberdeen, Earl of, 339

Achametis, on dreams of rings, 298

Add-a-link ring, 93

Adjustable rings, 93

Adler, Cyrus, viii

Ælian, 32

African rings, 64, 83, 84, 328

Agate, 81, 87, 335

Agincourt, rings found on battlefield of, 165

_Agla_ motto on healing rings, 339

Agricola, Johannes, on healing rings, 351

Ahasuerus, signet of, 116

Ahlstan, Bishop of Sherbourne, ring of, 271

Albert, Prince, 225

Albertus Magnus, on virtues of talismans, 311

Alexander the Great, signet of, 123

Alfonso X, Lapidario of, 304, 305

Alfonso XIII, old usage said to have been observed at marriage of,
213

Alliot, Hector, viii

Amber, 104, 341
entire rings of, 104

Ambrose, St., 128

Amelia, Princess, Memorial ring of, 43

Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten), ring of, 67

American Museum of Natural History, 65

American rings, 17–30, 47, 84, 85, 108

Amethyst, 34, 50, 73, 86, 111, 125, 126, 158, 227, 252, 279, 328,
335

Andalusite, 86

Anglo-Saxon rings, 195
of Bishop Ahlstan, 271
of Ethelswith, 173, 174
of Ethelwulf, 173, 174

Anhalt, princess of, magic ring of, 316, 317

Annay, Sir William d’, ring given to by Richard Cœur-de-Lion, 177

Anne, St., betrothal ring of, 261

Anne of Denmark, 189

Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, signet of, 125

Antoninus Pius, head of, on signet, 140

_Anularius_, a ring-maker, 16

Anuli natalitii, 15

_Anulus pronubus_, 193

Apollonius of Tyana, magic rings of, 296, 325

Aquamarine, 158

Aquinas, St. Thomas, 211

Arabic rings, Mohammed’s seal, 141
with carnelians, 141
mottoes and devices on, 142

Archæological Institute, London, 73

Archers’ rings, 87, 105–108

Aristophanes, of rings, 9

Aristotle, blamed by Plato for wearing rings, 32

Arnulphus, Bishop of Metz, ring of, 269

_Art nouveau_ rings, 87

Artemidora, mummy-case of, 51

Artemidorus, rings in dream-book of, 37

Arundel collection, 171

Arundel, Thomas, keeper of jewels of Edward the Confessor’s shrine,
175

Assyrian and Babylonian rings, 3
ancient contract as to emerald set in one, 4, 5

Assyrian jewellers’ firm, 4

Astle, Thomas, 155

Astrolabe ring, 88

Auckland, Lord, 101

Augustine, St., 299

Augustus, 336, 347
signet of, 130, 131

Aurelian’s seal ring, 133

Austrian rings, 87, 110

Avery, Samuel P., 66

Avitus, Archbishop of Vienne, letter of, describing ring, 266, 267,
277

Aztecs, treasures of the, 19
silversmiths of the, 20
finger-rings of the, 20

B

Bachaumont, Louis Petit de, 76

Bacon, Francis, on telepathic test with a ring, 326, 327

_Bacula_, little rod for rings, 55

Bagobos of Philippine Islands, superstitions of the, 352

Balas-ruby, 276

Bardel, W., x

Barlow, Hon. Peter T., vii, 153

Barr, Miss Ada M., vii

Barrow, F. H., viii

Beatty, W. Gedney, vii

Beauvoisin, Mlle. de, rings owned by, 76

Becket, St. Thomas à, ring taken from shrine of, 182, 183

Beefsteak Club memorial rings, 47

Benedict XIV, 281

Bequests of signets, 149

Berghem Lodowyck van (Louis de Berquen) cuts diamonds for Charles
the Bold, 215

Béquet, Albert, 59

Berlin Mineralogical Museum, 108

Berlin Royal Museum, 67

Bernard of Clairvaux, St., signet of, 145

Bernhard IV, Margrave of Baden, portrait of, 62

Berteildis, wife of Dagobert I, signet of, 138

Beryl, 134, 158, 252, 334, 335

Besborough collection, 73

Betrothal rings, _see_ wedding rings

Bible, rings mentioned in the, 1, 115, 116, 336

Bibliothèque Nationale, 162

Bibliothèque du Roi (later Bibliothèque Nationale), 139

Bingham, Hiram, viii

Inca rings found by, in Peru, 83

Bishop, Heber R., collection, 55, 105, 106

Bishops’ rings, of Allstan, Bishop of Sherborne, 271
of Arnulphus, Bishop of Metz, 269
of Ebba, Bishop of Rheims, 270
of Bishop of Flambard, 275
of Bishop Geoffroy Rufus, 275
of Archbishop Greenfield, 272
of Bishop Hervée, 273
of Hilary, Bishop of Chichester, 272
Innocent III’s definition of, 273
of Archbishop Parker, 276
of Seffrid, Bishop of Chichester, 272
of Archbishop Sewell, 272
of Archbishop Sigfroi, 274
of Bishop John Stanberry, 275
stolen by Piers Gaveston, 276
set with green tourmalines, 276
of Bishop William of St. Barbara, 275
of Bishop Wykeham, 275
of Wytlesey, Archbishop of Canterbury, 275

Blake, W. W., ix

Blakeslee collection, portraits in, showing ring wearing, 62

Bloodstone, 158, 191, 331

Bohemian garnet wings, 109

Boleyn, Anne, sends “cramp rings,” 343

Boniface IV, mention of pontifical ring in decree of, 267

Boniface VIII, ring found in tomb of, 273
magic ring of, 306

_Bonza_, Buddhist priest, rings made by, 82

Boog, Theodore de, xi

“Book of Thetel,” magic ring described in, 311

Borde, Andrew, on cramp rings, 343

Borgia, Cesare, motto in poison-ring of, 37

Borgia, Lucrezia, rings at betrothal of, 215

Borgias, poison rings of the, 37

Borough, Sir Edward, wins diamond ring at tournament, 181

Bossuet, Jacques Béminge, memorial ring given him by Princess
Henrietta Anne, 45

Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 192

Braddock, Charles S., Jr., ix

Brandon, Thomas, Earl of Suffolk, wins ruby ring at tournament, 181

Brantôme, Pierre de Boudeilles, Seigneux de, 168

Branualdius, 300

Brass rings, 82, 84, 352

Brera gallery, Milan, 203

British Museum, x, 5, 35, 39, 40, 44, 50, 58, 68, 69, 75, 82, 86,
89, 98, 99, 100, 104, 136, 143, 150, 151, 173, 197, 251, 257,
293

Bronze age, rings of the, 2

Bronze rings, 58, 89, 109, 251, 257, 293

Broun, W. H., entire emerald ring, owned by, 103

Brouwer, Bart., entire diamond ring by, 105

Brummagem rings, 113, 114

Burgundian rings, 73

Burmese rings, 82

Butler, Samuel, 194, 222

Buxtorf, Johann, on Hebrew betrothal rings, 203

Byron, Lord, signet owned by, 152

Byzantine rings, 143, 144–146, 161, 197, 256, 338

C

Cæsar, Julius, signet of, 130

Caius, St., ring of, 261

Caligula, head of, on ring, 133

Cambodian rings, 82

Camden, William, 183

Campbell, Archibald, ring of, 182

Cantacuzene, Emperor, 146

Canute, King, ring found on body of, 179

Caracalla, head of, on signet, 140

Cardinals’ rings, sapphire used for, 276
various stones used for in earlier times, 276
cost of, 277
of Cardinal Farley, 278
in portraits, 278

Carlomans’ signet ring, 140

Carlyle, Thomas, 324

Carnelian, 6, 125, 141, 158, 269, 318, 323, 328
entire rings of, 100

Casa Grande, Arizona, rings found at, 17

Casimir, John, Count Palatine, medal of, with figure of diamond
ring, 171

Catharine von Bora, ring commemorating her marriage to Martin
Luther, 216, 217

Cathoir the Great, called “Hero of Rings,” 191

Cat’s-eye, 78

“Celestial stones” in rings, 330

“Cent Nouvelles Nouvelles,” story of a ring in, 215

Cesnola collection of Cypriote antiquities, 119

Chalcedony, 74, 124, 158, 159, 334, 335, 363
entire rings of, 100, 258–261

Charioteer’s ring, 33

Charlemagne, ring of, 300–302

Charles the Bald, letter of, to Pope Nicholas I, 270

Charles I, 153, 189, 190
memorial rings of, 41
signet of, as Prince of Wales, 156, 157
as king, 157

Charles II, sealed with diamond signet of his father, 157
gave ring to Judge Jeffreys, 191

Charles IV, Emperor, 259

Charles V, of France, signet of, 146

Charles the Bald, letter of, to Pope Nicholas I, 270

Charlotte, Queen, 151

Chase, William M., x

Chaves Pass, Arizona, ring found at, 17

Chifflet, Jean Jacques, 139

Childeris I, signet of, 138–140

Chindaswinthe, Visigoth sovereign, promulgated law regarding
betrothal rings, 200

Chinese rings, 81, 85, 105–108, 248, 319–321

Chlorastrolite, 335

Chrysoberyl, 86

Chrysolite, _see_ peridot

Chrysoprase, 34

Chrysostom, St. John, on ring inscriptions, 135

Church, Sir Arthur Herbert, 86

Church collection, 86

Cicero, tells how Verres had rings made, 16
of ring seized by Verres, 127

Cigarette ring, 94

Clemens Alexandrinus, 14, 121, 133, 199, 296

Clement IV, Pope, “Fisherman’s Ring” of, 263

Clement V, Pope, stones used in ecclesiastical rings in time of,
276

Clement VIII, Pope, 263

Cleopatra, signet of, 126

Cleveland Museum of Art, 90

Clotaire II, coin of, set in ring, 162

Clothilda, receives betrothal ring from Clovis I in 493 A.D., 201,
202

Clovis I of France, on bishops’ signets, 137

Coats-of-arms on signet rings, 149

Coello, Claudio, 59

Coins set in rings, 162

Coke, Sir Edward, historic ring bequeathed by, 189
diamond ring of, 189

College of Arms, London, gift to, by Duke of Norfolk, 181

Color of stones in bishops’ rings, significance of, 274, 275

Columbus, Knights of, rings of, 332

Commodus, signet of, 131

“Communion rings,” 351

Comnenus, Alexis, signet-ring of, 144

Comnenus, John, 144

“Cone-shell” rings, 17

Congo, King of the, thumb ring of, 64

_Conlegium anularium_, 16

Constantius II, signet of, 161

Copper rings, 19, 20, 22, 84, 328

Coral, 63, 78, 341

Cordierite, 86

Corean rings, 107

Coronation ring, English, 174, 282, 283

Coronation ring, French, 284

Cortés, Fernan, 19

Corundum, 86

Cosmas and Damian, Sts., effigies of, on a healing ring, 338

“Cramp rings,” 341–345

Cranach, Lucas, 61

Crisp collection of memorial rings, 43

Culin, Stewart, vii

Curry, James, bought Henrietta Maria’s signet, 156

Cushing, Frank H., 21, 22

Cypriote rings, 6, 7, 111, 119, 120

Cyrianides, magic rings described in, 295

D

_Dactyliotheca_, 53, 54

Dactylomancy, 299, 308

Daggett, Frank S., viii

Dalhousie, Lord, 103

Dalton, O. M., 39, 150

Damer, Miss Dawson, 225

Daniel, Book of, signet mentioned in, 115

Darius III, signet of, 123

Darnley, Henry, Lord, wedding ring of, 217, 218

Dashur, rings found at, 68

Davenant, Sir William, of a rush-ring, 206

Death, removing of rings in case of, 134

Decade rings, 34

DeForest, Robert W., vii

Deloche, M., 10, 58, 140

Dial rings, 39, 87

Diamond, 78, 89, 98, 99, 101, 167–170, 181, 183, 189, 215, 227,
235, 252, 278, 288, 334
entire rings of, 105

Divining with rings, 299

Divorce rings, 235

Dixon, Joseph K., viii

Doctors’ rings, 266

Domenico dei Camei, gem engraver, 148

Domna, Julia, wife of Septimius Severus, causes Philostratus to
write life of Apollonius of Tyana, 296

Drake, Alexander Wilson, 85, 86, 217

Drake, Mrs. Alexander W., vii, 217

Drake collection, 85, 353

Dreams about rings, 37, 104, 132, 298

Dryden, John, 312
on gimmal ring, 219

Durant, Guillaume, Bishop of Mende, on spiritual meaning of wedding
ring, 207

Dutt, Dasmodar, Hindu portraitist, 63

Dynamite rings, 110

E

Ebbo, Bishop of Rheims, ring sent to, by mother of Charles the
Bald, 270

Ecgberht, Archbishop of York, 267

Eden, Hon. Miss, 101

Edward the Confessor’s ring, 162, 174, 176, 342, 343

Edward I, tomb of, opened in 1774, 179

Edward II, 276

Edward III, 315
gives ruby ring, 180

Edward IV, decree of, against spurious rings, 114

Edward VI, 343
marriage service in prayer-book of, 204

Eglamore, Sir, mediæval romance, magic ring in, 310

Egmont’s poison ring, 38, 39

Egyptian rings, 1, 5, 6, 51, 67, 68, 96, 117, 118, 249

Eisen, Gustavus A., vii

Eleanora, Empress of Germany, ring of, 168

Eleazar’s magic ring, 294, 295

Electric curative rings, 354

Electrum rings, 110, 314

Elizabeth, Queen, 49, 149, 152, 162, 169, 219
diamond ring given by, to Mary, Queen of Scots, 183, 184
ring given by, to Essex, 186–188
portrait of, showing ring, 188
healing ring sent to, 350

Elk-hoof, rings made from, 352, 353

Elks, Benevolent Protective Order of, rings of, 332

Emblems, Christian, on rings, 253–255

Emerald, 4, 5, 34, 50, 74, 78, 89, 106, 121, 176, 178, 180, 181,
211, 227, 252, 274, 275, 276, 282, 305, 328, 335
entire rings of, 101–103

Emnechildis, wife of Childeric II, signet of, 138

Engagement rings, 227, 230, 233–235, 237

English rings, 36, 41–45, 47, 48, 64, 74, 85, 113, 129, 144,
149–157, 169, 173–192, 211, 219, 221, 222, 224, 231, 269–272,
274, 282–284, 286, 287, 349

Enkomi, Cyprus, rings found in tombs at, 5, 6

Enstatite, 86

Eskimos, do not favor rings, 31

Essex, Earl of, wins diamond ring at tournament, 181

Essex ring, 162

Essex, William Devereux, Earl of, story of ring sent him by
Elizabeth, 186–188

Estampes, Anne de Pisseleu, Duchesse d’, favorite of Francis I, 168

Esther, book of, signet mentioned in, 116

Ethelswith, ring of, 173, 174

Ethelwulf, ring of, 173, 174

Etruscan rings, 68, 69

Eugene III, Pope, 144

Eugene IV, Pope, 259

Evans, Sir John, 209

Evdokim, Archbishop, 282

Evil eye, rings as charms against, 236, 293

F

Faber, Conrad, portrait by, 148

Fairbanks, Arthur, viii

Fairchild, B. G., 363

Farley, Cardinal, ring of, 278

Faustina the elder, head of, in entire sapphire ring, 99

_Fede_, Italian designation of betrothal ring, 209

_Fei-tsui_ jade, 107

Fenton, Edward, on the turquoise, 220

Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, 81

Figdor, Albert, x, 89, 167

Figdor (Dr. Albert) collection, 45, 89, 167, 210, 253

Filipino rings, 83, 352

Filippo Maria, Duke of Milan, 259

Finger on which betrothal or wedding ring is placed, 194–197, 203,
215, 222

Fish symbol (Christian), 255

“Fisherman’s Ring,” 262–265

Fitzherbert, Mrs., ring of, with portrait of George IV, 224

Flambard, Bishop, ring of, 275

Fletcher, John, allusion of, to rush-rings, 206

Fortnum, Drury, 153, 154, 156

Fossil coral, 334

Francis I, verses written with diamond ring by, 168

Francis II of France, 150

Franklin rings, 77

Franks Bequest collection, 40, 104, 150

Frederick I of Prussia, talismanic ring of, 171, 172

Frederick the Great, 171

Frederick William I of Prussia, 172

Frederick William III of Prussia, 172

French Revolution, rings of, 76

French rings, 45, 47, 75–77, 85, 87, 89, 90, 92, 93, 139, 140, 145,
147, 149–151, 164, 168, 170, 173, 179, 201, 211, 212, 215, 273,
348

French soldiers, rings made by, 92, 93