The popularity of rings increased during the medieval period. People wore rings no matter if they were rich or poor. The most used materials in the making of rings are copper, iron, gold and silver. The class of the person was usually identified by the material the ring was made of.
Faceted jewels began to appear in rings around the 14th century. Some cultures have rings that are usually associated with them. Native Americans are associated with silver and turquoise jewelry. The Greek symbol of the fish, called the Icthus was used by Early Christians. The Irish Claddagh has an interesting story attached to it.
Richard Joyce along with the crew on a fishing boat from the village of Claddagh, Ireland, was captured the same week he was supposed to be married. Goldsmithing was Richard Joyce's trade while he was enslaved. While he was captured, neither married. Richard Joyce made a ring for his beloved that had two hands holding a heart for love and a crown for loyalty.
Joyce escaped from his captors and returned to Claddagh where he was excited to see his love again and know she had never married. She never gave up hope of his return to her. He gave her the ring that is known as the Claddagh ring. Wearing the Claddagh on your right hand, crown inward means that you are letting people know that you are single.
The person who wears the Claddagh on the right hand with the crown outward is in a committed relationship. Wearing the Claddagh with the crown outward on your left hand says Let our love and friendship reign forever, never to be separated. There are many reasons for wearing rings, one is adornment. Rewards for a job well done include rings such as the one given after the Super Bowl victory.
Rings such as engagement rings and wedding rings symbolize commitment. Women Religious wear rings to show their commitment to God. You can use almost any material to make rings now. Plastic, silver, copper, gold or even wood can be use to make them. Ceramic materials can be used as well.
Rings can be very simple or of something as intricate as filigree. Rings can be plain and simple or be adorned with jewels and/or gemstones, as is the case of birthstone rings. There is a birthstone for each month with its own meaning.
Below you will find a list.
The Garnet is January's stone the gem of faith and truth; it is believed to stop bleeding, to cure sickness of the blood and infections and it is said to protect from poisons. It is believed that February's birthstone the Amethyst helps soldiers in battle, hunters to catch prey, control evil thoughts and help the owner have success in business. In order to prevent seasickness, keep them safe, and gain courage and foresight, sailors use the Aquamarine, the stone for March.
The Diamond is April's stone and is the symbol of strength, courage and invincibility. The diamond is the greatest gift of love. In 1477 Archduke Maximillian of Austria gave a diamond to Mary of Burgundy which started the tradition of engagement rings. The Emerald is the birthstone for May and believed to sharpen the eyesight and mind of the wearer.
As protection against the hazards of long trips travelers used Emeralds. The owner of the Emerald is said to be given the power to predict the future because of its green color. The pearl is the birthstone of June and fresh water pearls are said to give the power of protection, luck, and love.
They provide protection for children from harm and wisdom from experience. The Ruby's (July) red color is related to protection, courage, physical energy, strength, health, sex, and passion. Associated with it are blood, death, and birth. The August birthstone, the Peridot is said to bring the wearer peace, success, and good luck. It is believed it has the powers of health, protection, and sleep.
It is believed that it attracts love, eases anxiety and negative emotions, and calms anger. The powers of the Saphire (July) include inner peace and spiritual enlightenment. It is associated with the power of healing rheumatism, colic and mental illness. The October birthstone is believed to have healing powers that aid inner beauty, eyesight, and faithfulness. It will assist the user in remembering past lives.
The properties of the Yellow Topaz (Sanskrit for fire) are said to heal both mental and physical illnesses and to prevent death. The Citrine that is also for November is believed to have powers to aid the kidneys, the heart, the digestive tract, liver and muscles. Its powers are the elimination of self-destructive tendencies and it promotes creativity and personal clarity.
December's birthstone is the Blue Topaz (Sanskrit for fire) and was believed to heal both mental and physical illnesses, and prevent death in the Middle Ages. The powers of attracting money, success, and love are attributed to the Turquoise another stone for December. It is believed also that it offers protection, healing, courage, friendship and luck.
Mental tension is relieved and the mind is comforted. Among the variety of rings there are mother's rings with birthstones of her kids, friendship rings, engagement rings, wedding rings, and school rings. At the base of the prices for rings is fifty cents (found in toy machines) and at the higher end fifty thousand dollars or more.
What is that?
You may ask surely we need as the good book says in 1 Corinthians chpt 13 vv11 "When I was a child, I spoke like a child, thought like a child, and reasoned like a child. I gave up childish things when I became a man.That is true, but your childhood holds the key to your future development - The trait to ask questions that are conflict managing type questions in our quest for knowledge to achieve our life goals.
You may think that you still ask questions every day, but what sort of questions are they the conflict managing type. Have you ever talked to yourself. What about when there is an unexpected knock at the door, do you catch yourself saying in your head or outloud - "Now who can that be?"?"
Now go on admit it you talk to yourself. You could probably at this moment be saying inside your head, "No I don't, do I?"
When the phone rings have you ever caught yourself saying out loud, "I wonder who is ringing at this time of night?"
There are of course those natural external questions such as when you meet someone and ask, "How are you?" most of the time you do not wait for a reply as you do not really ask questions to get a reply but out of common courtesy.
Now compare those questions to when a children ask questions, they almost demands answers by using questions that start with, who, what, where, when, how and why. Those dreaded open end questions that demand replies, but which on examination are cries for answers to increase their knowledge and experiences.
In adulthood we feel the fear that in asking conflict managing questions, we appear ignorant, how many times when you have been listening at a seminar or other training course and you have nodded intelligently when you haven't got the foggiest notion what the speaker was talking about.
In listening to a speaker you place your own interpretation on the words you think you hear, the problem is the speaker also places his interpretation on the words which may be different from yours leading to misunderstanding and conflict.
Your misinterpretation is often caused by the workings of your inner mind, when you hear a word or collection of words, your inner mind needs to explore the recesses of your memory to find those words in your knowledge base and then set them against the experience you were subjected to that placed a meaning on those words into your memory.
The speaker also in searching for the correct words to use lets his inner mind search the recesses of his memory to uncover an experience he had related to or exactly the same as what he was trying to convey through his words. If you have a similar experience in your past lives there is harmony and understanding but if you have a totally different experience there is misunderstanding a need for conflict resolution.
Let me give you an example. What image springs into your mind when you hear the word 'pen'? We think in pictures not words. Let us say that you are using or have just used a biro pen, you would probably see the image of that pen in your mind, however, if my experience was to always use a fountain pen that is the image I was trying to portray through my words.
Now the resolving conflict that may occur between the interpretation of the word pen may not be catastrophic, but unless we ask conflict managing questions; when we do not understand what is being said we will live in conflict, leading to stress and breakdown or relationships both socially and career wise.
Going back to our child analogy, the other trait in a child's questions that we must return to is persistence. How many times does a child ask a question - until it understands the answer? Now how many times do you ask a question and stop asking in case you look a fool before you understand the answer.
As Luke chpt 11 vv9 says "Ask and you shall receive." Do not feel the fear, ask, ask, ask and even ask again until you understand he who thinks you are a fool for doing so is the bigger fool who wishes not to be understood.
Both Martin Smith & David Dutch are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Martin Smith has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pearls, Women and Diamonds. Martin Smith is a successful freelance writer providing advice and tips on a variety of subjects if you need Dating tips His numerous articles provide a wonderfully resource of information.. Martin Smith's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.
David Dutch has sinced written about articles on various topics from self improvement and motivation, Small Business and Mind Power. Following a lifetime career in Direct Sales with many years as a senior manager David left his lucrative career behind to help others achieve their life goals through a series of seminars and lately through his books, Articles and Blog, his mission is to. David Dutch's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.