The ring is a circle of precious metal that holds a special place in many people’s lives. From engagement and wedding rings to family heirlooms, the ring has come to symbolize a wide variety of important relationships, events and milestones in life. Rings can be simple bands or elaborately adorned with gemstones and other metalwork designs. While describing the design of a ring, it’s also important to include certain specific characteristics that make it unique and distinguishable from similar pieces.
A ring’s shank is the portion of the piece that wraps around your finger. The shank can be plain or adorned with metalwork details like delicate wire flowers centered over a simple band. Other notable features of a ring might be an engraving or a special shape or size of the stone in its center. Some engraved rings even feature an entire story written on its surface, often in a language other than English.
Some rings don’t have any stones at all, but instead are made from a solid piece of metal. While this type of ring isn’t as common as those with gemstones, it can still be used to signify a special occasion or significant event in a person’s life. It’s also an excellent choice for those who want to avoid the environmental and health issues that come with using gemstones, particularly during pregnancy or nursing.
Depending on where and how you wear your rings, they can portray different energy attributes and help you achieve more benefit from the piece. For example, wearing a ring on your index finger (Jupiter) encourages independence and self-reliance. It also brings leadership potential and a sense of authority to your life. Similarly, wearing rings on your active hand (Jupiter) helps you find creative solutions to problems. It also increases the potential for wealth and success in business.
Aside from their figurative significance, rings are also a common symbol of a vow or promise in some cultures. Rings that have a lengthy inscription on their surface are often called promise or engagement rings. These types of rings may contain words of wisdom, a special quote or a short line of poetry. They are also used to signify a commitment to virginity in some religious traditions.
Planetary rings are a complex subject in science, with new discoveries and mysteries cropping up frequently. Recent spacecraft flybys of the giant planets have greatly advanced our understanding of ring structures. However, the nature of most planetary rings is still mostly unexplained. It’s thought that the ring particles, which range from micron-sized powder to objects as large as houses, are prevented from coalescing under their own gravity into larger bodies by a region of their parent planet known as the Roche limit. A ring’s structure is further complicated by the gravitational tugs from the planet’s moons, which can cause the dense ring material to move in unexpected ways. These dynamics are influenced by other nongravitational effects, such as electromagnetic pressure and solar radiation pressure.