The Definitive Guide To Elvish Rings

The Definitive Guide To Elvish Rings

Introduction to Elvish Rings

As one of the jewellers who had the privilege of making a ring for The Lord of the Rings, our customers want to know more about the rings associated with J.R.R. Tolkien and the famous trilogy. Although a few other rings existed, The Lord of the Rings trilogy primarily focuses on 20 Rings of Power. These rings were divided among characters in the story: three rings went to the elves, seven rings went to the dwarves, nine to men, and one to the Dark Lord Sauron. Adoring fans from around the world continue to seek out replicas and design their own versions of the rings, including the three elvish rings.

At Jens Hansen, we are fans of Tolkien's magical and fantastical stories and we want to help you learn everything you can when searching for the perfect Elvish ring to add to your collection. Our guide to Elvish rings offers a little context and mythology about the Elvish rings, types of Elvish rings you can buy today, and descriptions about the elements of an Elvish ring so you can make the best decision for you when purchasing. If you want to further expand your jewellery collection, we also provide some information on other types of elvish jewellery.


Mythology, Folklore & Tolkien

Elves have a long history in folklore, mythology, literature, and movies. Yet, they take on a slightly different form or meaning wherever they appear. Elves first appeared in Germanic folklore and Norse mythology. In Germanic folklore, elves are small, supernatural beings who don't care too much about humans. English literature sometimes conflates elves with fairies, but in fact, elves are a type of fairy. Some folklore depicts elves as small and childlike, not any taller than four feet and with green complexions.

Norse mythology is responsible for providing magical elements to elves, who were minor gods of fertility and nature that were separate from the Aesir, who were the gods of Norse mythology. Scandinavian traditions ultimately separated elves into good, white elves and evil, black elves. Today's popular images of mischievous, magical sprites living below ground and hating humans are rooted in Scandinavian folklore and traditions. When J.R.R. Tolkien wrote The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings in the early 1900s, he reconciled many competing images and descriptions of elves and depicted them as humans who were more artistic, more beautiful, and lived longer. In the movie adaptations of Tolkien's work, Peter Jackson stays true to Tolkien's vision and portrays elves as graceful and wise entities who have supernatural powers, who look like humans with pointed ears, long hair, and no facial hair.

The idea and creation of elvish rings emerged from Tolkien's writings. The three magical rings created by the Elves of Eregion allowed the elves to stop time in their realms, protect, and heal. In The Lord of the Rings, the three elvish rings were made last and named after the elements of fire, water, and air. Here is a more detailed description of the materials and powers of the Three Rings:

  • Also called the "Ring of Fire" and the "Red Ring," Narya was set with a ruby, but Tolkien never specified exactly what the ring was made of.
  • The "Ring of Water," the "White Ring," and the Ring of Adamant had a shimmering white stone and was made of mithril, a fictional metal in Tolkien's writings similar to shimmering silver steel.
  • The "Ring of Air" or the "Blue Ring" was made of gold, set with a sapphire, and the most powerful of the Three Rings.


Elvish Rings in Modern Times

Today's elvish rings do not have magical powers, but they do serve as elegant pieces to any jewellery collection. In fact, some fans of Tolkien, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings have chosen to interweave their love for fantasy and all things Tolkien by using elvish ring designs for their engagement and wedding rings. Learn more about Jens Hansen's by reading our Engagement Ring Buyers Guide.

Many superfans of The Lord of the Rings informally and formally participate in Live Action Role Playing (LARP). If you have attended a LARP event, you have likely seen replicas of the Three Rings and other Rings of Power as participants reenact scenes from the trilogy. Whether you are in the United States, New Zealand, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere, you can find a LARP guild or club that holds events for you to flaunt an elvish ring.

In some cases, superfans choose not to wear their replica rings but instead keep them protected as one of many collectibles from the movies. The popularity of The Lord of the Rings trilogy has also spawned interest in collecting items from the movie, including replicas of the Three rings. These collectibles are an investment, and the rarest of them fetch the most money for those who resell.

Global Appeal

J.R.R. Tolkien's writings have drawn fantasy-lovers of all ages from all over the world for almost a century. Yet, Peter Jackson's movie adaptation of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings catapulted Tolkien and his stories to a higher level. Even if someone hasn't seen read the book or seen the movie, they know something about The Lord of the Rings. The global appeal of Tolkien and his stories translates into the same global appeal for elvish rings and other elvish jewellery, not only for superfans but for those who want an interesting item to add to their collection or a special way to show love with an engagement or wedding ring.

Elements of an Elvish Ring

When you are searching for the perfect elvish engagement ring or simply a stunning elvish ring to add to your collection, a wide variety awaits you. Below we offer information about each of the elements of an elvish ring, so you have the knowledge you need to choose the perfect elvish ring for you.

Metal

The ring we made for The Lord of the Rings was yellow gold and Vilya, the most powerful of the Three rings was also depicted as a gold ring. Although you cannot find a ring forged in Tolkien's fictional metal, white gold, sometimes mixed with titanium, makes the perfect shimmery substitute. Finally, red gold elvish rings honor the Ring of Fire.

Gemstones

Rubies, sapphires, and diamonds make the perfect precious gemstones for elvish rings, nicely representing Tolkien's Red Ring, Blue Ring, and White Ring.

Band Type & Setting

Elvish rings typically have simple, but stylish, heavy bands. More petite bands are available for women. You can find elvish rings with several different types of settings to match your style and preference. Yet, prong, bezel, and invisible settings complement the simplicity of the band, making them a popular choice for elvish rings.

  • Prong Settings elevate stones away from the band, causing more light to reflect. Four-prong and six-prong settings are especially popular among elfish rings because they allow the stone, especially if it is a diamond, to sparkle. Prong settings are not always the best choice for those who are active because you can easily catch them on your clothes or hit them on a countertop or desk.

  • Bezel Settings offer the tradition and elegance of an elvish ring with a modern twist. Bezel settings hide a portion of the stone so it is level with the band. You will love this contemporary look even more because you won't have to worry about catching it on anything.

  • Invisible settings offer another modern look for those who want a sleek ring. Invisible settings have metal all around them, so the stone is level with the band.

Inscription

The inscription is easily the most popular, recognizable, and stunning feature of an elvish ring, and no elvish ring is complete without one. It's the distinctive language and writing that sets elvish rings apart regardless of their metal, stone, or setting. One of the best ways to translate from Elvish to English is through the Tengewar writing system, but we want to make it simple for you. Check out our English to Elvish Engraving Translator, so you know the elvish characters for your name or phrase.

FUN FACT: Tolkien made up his first language when he was a teenager and the stories of Middle Earth began with the languages he made up. Tolkien created 15 different Elvish languages throughout his writings. Fans contributed words and phrases to some of the dialects so they could use the languages in real life.

Buying an Elvish Ring

In case we didn't mention it, Jens Hansen designed the most famous ring in the world—The One Ring—featured in The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogies. You can choose from one of our movie replicas or you can customize your own elvish ring. Either choice leaves you with a majestic collector's item to hold onto for ages and pass on as a family heirloom.

Movie Replicas

You can find many movie replica rings online and around the world, but none are as authentic and accurate as the Jens Hansen Movie Rings. Our replica rings are exact recreation of the original ring design we used for Peter Jackson's movie prop ring. These rings are only made from solid precious metals and they are not licensed merchandise souvenirs. You can choose from gold, silver, and other precious metals to create a piece for your ring collection.

Customize Your Own Ring

Choose the perfect elvish ring for your collection by customizing your own ring. We offer petite, little, and standard band sizes for our elvish rings. You can also choose to customize a matching set of couples rings or a wedding set. Once you choose the band and metal you want, your next step is to decide on the stone, and finally, you can come up with your own clever inscription to truly personalize your ring or set.

Other Types of Elvish Jewellery

Whether you want to round out your elvish ring collection with some other pieces, or you are looking for a gift for a friend, you can consider other types of stylish and sophisticated elvish jewellery.

The Wanderers Circle

Those who want an elvish pendant to match their elvish ring will love the Wanderers Circle. This piece is a recreation of our movie replica ring. In fact, it has the same profile, size, and weight as the ring Frodo wears in the films. The difference is that the curved face of the ring effectively rotated through 90 degrees to create a torus shape allowing the pendant to sit flat and all the engraving to be seen at once. Like our elvish rings, the inscription that flows around the circle stands out as a noticeable and unique feature. We can engrave the pendant in all languages, but you can create a distinctive necklace by getting your own elvish words inscribed. We offer The Wanderers Circle in yellow gold, red gold, white gold & platinum, and sterling silver.

Signet Rings

Our classic signet rings are available unengraved or can be custom engraved with the symbols or text of your choice. For those who love personalization, we also offer monogrammed signet rings, but with a twist. We have collaborated with Daniel Reeve, calligrapher for The Lord of the Rings movies, to offer Elven Monograms. You can have your first and last initial inscribed on the signet ring in the Elven-inspired alphabet that Reeve created especially for Jens Hansen. Our Elfish signet rings have the same curved band shape characteristic of our movie replica rings, but we offer five different signet rings style. Each signet ring comes in one of ten face shape and size combinations in the precious metal of your choice: yellow gold, red gold, white gold and platinum.

Contact Us Today for Your Custom Elvish Ring Consultation

After reading the Jens Hansen Definitive Guide to Elvish Rings, you should have a better understanding of how to choose the perfect elvish ring to add to your personal collection. We hope this new information has been helpful and answered all your questions about elvish rings, so you feel confident about your purchase. We urge you to share our guide with all of your fellow The Lord of the Rings and J.R.R. Tolkien fans. If you have questions beyond this guide or want to schedule a custom ring consultation, contact us via telephone during New Zealand business hours at +64 3 548 0640, by email or you can book an online call and appointment with us.

Download Our Ring Buyers Guide

Download the Ring Buyers Guide
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