Class rings are a symbol for students that they are graduating from a particular high school or college. They are typically bands cast in gold or silver, inlaid with stones and engraved with the year of the graduating class. Occasionally they may incorporate the school mascot or color scheme. These day, some are even personalized to include the honor societies or sports clubs the student belonged to. They originated in West Point Military Academy in the United States, and are common in both America and Canada.

Rings have always held great symbolism. Egyptians believed a scarab ring could promise eternal life, and were duly buried with one over their heart. Romans wore rings to battle, believing this would assure them victory. Today, engagement rings and wedding rings symbolize deep love and commitment to a partner for life. Other rings can be worn which symbolize virginity and the keeping of promises.

The class ring represents a number of things to the wearer. As they are acquired at graduation, there is a real sense in which they mark a rite of passage, highlighting the student's personal achievement in completing their studies. They designate the beginning of responsible adult life in a physically tangible way, and as such take on high importance to those who choose to wear them.

The ring connects the wearer to the other students in their class and associates them with their school. There is a sense in which wearers are brothers, part of the same club, even years after graduation has taken place. These rings can be a great source of pride and schools may make their rings very large and distinctive so that fellow alumni members can recognize each other easily, even from a distance.

Sometimes, a class ring may also be given to a high school sweetheart as a symbol of devotion, or rings can be traded to highlight that the couple is "going steady". Parents may also pass their ring onto their child; in fact, sometimes class rings are handed down through many generations.

The ring is worn on the third finger of the right hand. While the student is still in school, they wear the ring with the insignia facing their body. However, upon graduation the crest is turned outwards so as to face the world the graduate is about to enter into.

A ceremonial act takes place before graduation wherein people who are important to the wearer rotate the ring on the finger. Everyone must turn it in the same direction except for the final turn, which should go the opposite way. The final turn signifies the moment has arrived for the wearer to go out into the world, and is thus done by someone who is particularly special to them.

Although class rings may be expensive for the average student, they serve as a memento of the years spent at school, one which can be passed on through the family for decades. They are simultaneously a personal symbol of achievement and a communal symbol of brotherhood, and as such act as an important tradition to mark the transition into adulthood.

To find more information on how to personalize and order your high school class ring, please visit Dunham Jewelry Manufacturing.