Finger rings have been a must-have accessory for centuries. From a student’s class ring to the ever-popular Lord of the Rings, these accessories are parts of our everyday life at every stage. However, the particular types of adornments tend to change with life’s various milestones—few people wear their class ring long past graduation, and still fewer sport an engagement ring without a fiancé to go with it.
At each stage of your life, you’ll find a new sort of ring to be most appropriate. Of course, you can mix and match certain styles through the decades, turning to nostalgia or returning to one significant piece through a lifetime. However, you’ll find that a few specific rings will reflect your current stage of life, whatever that might be.
Mood Ring: Best for Childhood Discovery
As kids, we’re not just wrapping our heads around the world around us—we’re learning about ourselves each day. Children constantly uncover new feelings and phenomena, so a mood ring is a perfect complement to this stage of self-discovery. Mood rings surged in popularity through the ’70s, with unprecedented numbers of individuals looking inward and uncovering their own emotions. So it’s no surprise that these volatile gemstones are a perfect match for the revelations of youth.
Promise Ring: Best for Young Love
As adolescents, most people aren’t shopping for an engagement ring—that degree of commitment is a long way off. However, you can’t help but feel connections at a deep level. A promise ring offers a welcome balance between devotion and betrothment, showing your loyalty to all who look without the more grown-up implications of marriage and lifelong commitment.
Statement Ring: Best for Finding Yourself
As a young adult entering your early 20s and the surrounding years, you almost return to a childlike state. You’re learning who you are and how you feel all over again, with personal experience moving you forward through this new stage of life. A statement ring is a perfect piece for this period, portraying your personality to the world around you even as you uncover these traits for yourself.
Engagement Ring: Best for True Love
As you move through adulthood, you might just be lucky enough to fall in love. There’s nothing like a straight-to-the-heart ring to represent that connection, shining a spotlight on what’s meant to be a lifelong connection. A classic solitaire or modern take on an engagement ring can convey your love of a lifetime like few other pieces of jewelry can.
Wedding Ring: Best for Lifelong Commitment
As we grow up, we hear the classic rhyme: First comes love, then comes marriage … So, it’s no surprise that wedding bands will soon join engagement rings. A conventional gold or sterling silver ring can mark your marriage, showing it off to the world in the spirit of vena amoris.
Anniversary Ring: Best for Renewed Romance
As you go through married life, your wedding ring won’t always be the final addition to your jewelry collection. An anniversary band is one ideal piece to consider, reconfirming your love and reestablishing this incomparable connection.
At each stage of a person’s life, they’ll find that specific experiences transform their state of being and how they see themselves throughout it. Every step brings with it some sort of change, and each shift, it seems, can be reflected in your choice of jewelry. A sterling silver, rose gold, or gold ring can show your current stage to the world, highlighting your personality and how you see yourself. Understanding your volatile emotions or highlighting the romance of the century, your perfect ring will complement the version of you you’re currently choosing to exhibit.