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What are High School Class Rings?
High school class rings are commemorative piece of jewelry that celebrate a student's school and graduating class. Class rings are typically purchased during the freshman or sophomore year and worn until graduation. Most students buy a class ring as a fashionable piece of jewelry but in years to come enjoy it as a memento of their high school days.
The traditional high school class ring is a wide metal band with a large colored jewel at the top. The high school name circles the jewel, and the wide sides allow for the insertion of the graduation year and other personalized symbols. While this is a typical ring design, each ring manufacturer offers dozens of looks suitable for both male and female students, with some barely recognizable as high school class rings.
Rings are offered in varying qualities of gold, silver, and white gold, both solid and plated. Since the jewels in most class ring designs are large, they are usually imitation stones. However, the use of faux jewels means that you can have any color jewel you desire on your ring; you can even have a "diamond" if you want one. Some students will choose their birthstone and others will select a stone in their favorite color.
Unless they select a style that is too narrow for it, the most careful decision that students must make when buying a class ring is what designs they want to place on each side of the ring. These designs will be molded into the metal, resulting in a carved look. How can you encapsulate your high school experience in two small pictures? There are symbols available that represent school mascots, sports, clubs, academics, and the arts; if a student in high school could be interested in it, there's probably a symbol available.
High school class rings are usually offered for sale at school, with a vendor coming during lunch periods or after school, accepting orders, and later delivering them to the students. However, class rings can also be purchased from jewelry and department stores. Wherever you purchase it, consider your class ring an investment in high school memories.
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![High school athletes may choose to have the symbol for their sport engraved into their class rings.]()
By: Nicholas PiccilloHigh school athletes may choose to have the symbol for their sport engraved into their class rings.
Discussion Comments
@Laotionne - While many people think of wearing class rings as a relatively recent tradition, the practice originated in the 19th Century. The 1835 class at West Point (United States Military Academy) is credited with being the first class of students to use the class ring as a symbol of brotherhood and unity.
After 1835, students at other institutions began to adopt the practice of wearing class rings. Eventually, the rings became commonplace at high schools in the United States and Canada.
Class rings have become such a big part of the educational experience. Actually, class rings were more prevalent in my high school than at college. The day we ordered class rings was one of the red letter days at my high school.
Does anyone know how the practice of wearing class rings started?
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