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Marks and motifs made deliberately hard to read: a message spelled in the initials of gemstones, a verse engraved where only the wearer sees it, a device cut in reverse so it reads only in wax, a size letter in a scale that depends on which country the ring was made in. Where a widely repeated rule turns out to be recent folklore — the Claddagh wearing conventions, the neat English cadency sequence — the family says so rather than passing it on.
Two hands holding a crowned heart, an Irish emblem of love and loyalty.
Two right hands clasped, a betrothal motif on European rings.
Gemstones set in order so that their initials spell a word.
A short verse or motto engraved inside a ring's band.
A device cut in reverse into a ring's face, to be read in its impression.
A small charge added to arms to distinguish one son from another.
A letter or number stamped inside a band, giving its size in a national scale.
A skull, coffin or hourglass on a ring, worn as a reminder of mortality.