Mood rings first made their appearance in the 1970’s.  You wore it on your finger

and the color of the stone would reflect the state of your emotions.  There were

many incarnations of the personal mood-detector. There was a big flat

masculine-looking ring, a watch that changed color, pendants and even nail polish.
The way mood rings work is simple. The stone in a mood ring is either a hollow

glass shell filled with thermo tropic liquid crystals, or a clear glass stone

sitting on top of a thin sheet of liquid crystals. These liquid crystal molecules

are very sensitive and they change position according to changes in temperature.
This change in molecular structure affects the wavelengths of light that are

absorbed or reflected by the liquid crystals, resulting in an apparent change in

the color of the stone.
For example, as the temperature increases, the liquid crystal molecules twist

slightly in one direction. This twist causes the liquid crystal substance to

absorb more of the red and green portions of the visible light, and reflect the

blue part.  This causes the stone to appear dark blue.
When the temperature decreases, the molecules begin to twist in the other

direction, and reflect a different portion of the spectrum . . . which explains

why they were totally useless outdoors in winter when they would just turn gray

and stay like that
Below is a list of the various colors and their associated feelings:
Slate blue – Happiness, Love & Joy

Blue – Relaxed, At Ease and Calm

Blue/Green – Somewhat Relaxed

Green – Average reading – Not under stress

Yellow/Green – Troubled & Uneasy

Grey – Anxious/ Nervous

Black – Tense, Nervous, Anxious, Harassed

So…If you are having one of those days when you just don’t know what you’re

feeling, slip on a mood ring and it will tell you.

There are several metals used in making quality rings. This treatise will discuss two of them, gold and silver.. Other materials are used but designer rings will normally only rely on the previously mentioned four. Two of the primary criteria for selecting the proper metal is looks as well as wear ability. Both gold and silver have been known to cause allergic reactions making this metal unsuitable for use for that person.

The most common metal, by far, for rings is gold. There are many varieties of this metal, from yellow to white. One of the more non-traditional forms is black hills gold. Although not necessarily inexpensive, it is often less costly than it’s counterpart. Gold, by itself, is too soft to be used as a ring. Thus it is mixed with other metals. Pure gold is 24 karats, and the least gold measurement is 10 karat. By definition, the amount of gold is the difference between the numbers. For example: and 18-karat ring is 18 parts gold and 6 parts of other metal or metals.

Silver is the counterpart to gold. Like gold, silver is a soft metal and is used with other metals for hardening purposes. The finest rating for silver is fine and is 99.9 per cent silver. Sterling is just below fine in ratings and is 92.5 % silver, 7.5% copper. Lesser-ranked are: Mexican silver, German silver, Indian silver, Montana silver and just silver. Nickel silver contains no silver. None of these have any guaranteed pure silver content however. To test for silver content, scrape away, in a non-visible area, any plating. Pour a drop of nitric acid on this spot. Sterling silver will display a creamy color while lesser values and silver alloys will display a greenish tint because of the high quantity of copper. .

If you are a member of the Freemasons, it is likely you will be looking to buy a Masonic ring. This group that can trace itself historically back to June 24th, 1717 when four London lodges met to establish the Grand Lodge of England, but some state that the masons have ties going all the way back to Ancient Egypt. In any case, it seems the Freemasons have always existed.
The tools represented in the Masons symbol are working tools (the square, level, plumb, etc.) These remind members of the tenets of the craft. Members today are said to be of the ‘craft.’ Freemasonry exists in many parts of the globe as a basically social club with many levels of status for the members to work their way through. When a member has reached a higher degree there is a ceremony to officially confer the new ranking.
Stonemason’s tools represented in the Masonic symbol are used to stand for basic virtues. The three overriding Masonic principles are brotherly love, relief, and truth. Most will wear rings bearing the symbol of the Masons with other certain attributes like background colors to indicate that they are a Mason and come from a specific lodge or that you have attained a specific degree of status within the Masons.
Some rings can be quite expensive for those who have gained a higher degree within the Masons. Most members’ rings run an average of one hundred dollars. They are quite bold in statement, with a wide band and some containing gemstones and gold or silver. The more averaged priced ring will simply be the steel or brass with the Masonic emblem on a colored background. A lot of ring manufacturers pride themselves on being able to offer these rings handcrafted one at a time, by Masons for Masons

No other ring in the history has as beautiful of tory as that of the Irish Claddagh ring.

The story of the Claddagh starts when a fisherman, Richard Joyce, and other crew members were captured by pirates shortly before Joyce was to be married. He was sold into slavery in Algiers and made the property of a goldsmith who taught him the craft. With his beloved back in Claddagh on his mind he fashioned the first Claddagh ring. The hands were to represent friendship, the heart was love, and the crown represented loyalty and fidelity.

In 1698 King Georges III agreed to free all of his subjects. Richard Joyce was once again free. His slave master offered Joyce his daughter in marriage and half of his wealth if he would stay in Algiers. Joyce refused the offer and instead returned home to Claddagh where he found his love waiting for him. Neither of them had married. Upon discovering this, Joyce gave his love the ring and they were married shortly thereafter.

The ring was dubbed The Claddagh because of the village Joyce and his Bride were from. There were others who made the ring much later and added jewels and an intricate crown design. The basic hands holding a crowned heart has never changed. Joyce wanted something that would his love for his Beloved.

The design is the clasped hands of the ‘fede’ or faith rings. These rings date from Roman times and were popular in the Middle Ages. The ring is worn now by many to speak to their Irish heritage. The Claddagh tells the story of two lovers who are separated and yet their love and commitment withstood the passage of time. It’s simple design and my heritage influenced my decision to purchase a Claddagh.

Here we continue with the traditional stones associated with your month of birth.  Our last article covered the first six months on January through June.  Below we cover the second half of the year, July through December.

July – Ruby – Its red color is related to sex, passion, strength, health, physical energy, courage, and protection. It is associated with blood, birth, and death

August – Peridot -It is thought to bring the wearer good luck, peace, and success. Its powers include health, protection, and sleep. It attracts love, calms anger, eases anxiety and negative emotions

September – Sapphire – Its powers include spiritual enlightenment and inner peace. It is said to aid in the healing of rheumatism, colic and mental illness

October -Opal – It has healing powers that aid inner beauty, faithfulness, and eyesight. It also aids in remembering past lives.

November – Yellow Topaz (Sanskrit for fire) – In the Middle Ages was thought to heal both physical and mental illnesses and prevent death. Citrine – also for November – Aids the kidneys, heart, digestive tract liver, and muscles. It promotes creativity, personal clarity and eliminates self-destructive tendencies.

December – Blue Topaz (Sanskrit for fire) – In the Middle Ages was thought to heal both physical and mental illnesses and prevent death. Turquoise – also for December – It attracts money, success, and love. It gives protection, healing, courage, friendship, and luck. It eases the mind and mental tension.

Birthstone rings make wonderful gifts.  The idea of having a ring with a stone associated solely with one’s month of birth can add value to it. People love having something that was picked out personally with them in mind and birthstone rings fit that description perfectly.  The ring is a gift that will be cherished for many years to come.