They may be set with a "stone" of some sort, which is often a precious or semi-precious gemstone such as ruby, sapphire or emerald, but can also be of almost any material.

History of rings

The custom of giving and receiving rings dates back over 4,800 years. The fourth digit or ring finger of the hand has become the customary place to wear a wedding ring in much of the world, a practice that appears to be spreading. It stems from a 16th-century Tudor belief that the left-handed ring finger was connected by a vein directly to the heart; thus, wearing a ring on the third finger demonstrated that the wearer was in a relationship. However, there are many traditions in which the ring is now worn on the right hand.

Finger rings
Shapes and styles

Various ring shapes and styles exist. The following are but a few.

• Judaica Rings: Lions facing the Ark: Moses and Joshua
• Flat wedding bands are the simplest form of ring that can be made. A flat wedding band basically consists of a strip of metal that is bent around into a loop and joined where the ends meet.
• Half-round rings, also called D-shape rings, are flat wedding bands that are filed half-round on the outside.
• Sleeve rings are rings that consist of a thin inner ring or sleeve, with several other rings stacked onto it to form one solid ring. The rings can either be soldered onto the sleeve or the ends of the sleeve can be upset (like a tube rivet) to keep them all together. A little of both can also be done.
• Solitaire rings are rings with a single large stone as a centerpiece, usually a diamond.
• Eternity rings are rings with stones, usually diamonds, of the same cut and size, set in one row all around the ring. The stones are usually round or square, and the setting is usually either claws or a channel setting. When the stones do not continue around the entire ring, but stop halfway around the finger, it is called a half-eternity ring.
• Trinity rings or Trilogy Rings are three rings to be worn at one time.
• Cluster rings are rings with a group of stones in a cluster setting, forming the focal point of the ring. The cluster setting usually consists of one large stone (usually round or oval) in the center surrounded with several smaller stones.

Wedding Rings