136:
graduation entitles the wearer to display the insignia facing outward so that it faces other viewers. An additional justification for this practice is the rationale that the ring also symbolizes the graduate themself: during the wearer's time in school, they focus on self-development and goals specific to the insular academic environment; upon graduation, the wearer enters the wider world and puts what they have learned to work in shaping it.
41:
448:
22:
151:. Prior to graduation, these classes wore the USMA Class Ring with the Class Crest closest to the heart, signifying a given cadet's bond to his class within the Academy. Following graduation, members of these classes wore (and, for surviving members, still wear) the ring with the Academy Crest closest to the heart, signifying their bond with the Academy as a whole.
135:
indicates the following protocol for wearing of a class ring. For as long as the wearer is in school, the insignia should face the wearer to remind them of the goal of graduation. Upon graduation, the class ring gains the status of a "badge of honor" similar to a diploma, with the effect that
94:
Today class rings can be customized, from the material and style that the ring is made of to the color and cut of the gem in the center. There is a wide selection of emblems, pictures, and words that can be added to the sides of the rings and even inside the center gem.
122:
have also implemented their own versions of the tradition, most commonly featuring a Ring
Ceremony involving a dance or figure, occurring during the cadet or midshipmen’s spring of their junior year, or fall of their senior year.
147:. Today, as in years past, Academy graduates frequently wear their rings on the left hand in observance of the ancient belief, which also underlay the Anglo-American custom of wearing wedding bands on the left hand, that a
330:
The traditional Jewish custom is to wear a wedding ring on the right index finger, and only women wore them originally. However, most Jewish people will move rings to reflect the national custom of where they
163:
280:
235:
478:
183:
168:
342:
178:
225:
159:
Several institutions accept donated class rings from alumni for melting and incorporation into future class rings:
173:
115:
285:
188:
140:
104:
452:
193:
468:
119:
139:
A notable exception to this protocol is the custom followed by older graduating classes of the
290:
144:
108:
8:
416:
473:
327:
230:
64:
44:
392:
377:
315:
220:
132:
354:
462:
210:
198:
52:
26:
418:
350:
148:
80:
88:
76:
103:
The tradition of class rings originated with the class of 1835 at the
215:
40:
255:
68:
33:
30:
63:(also known as a graduation, graduate, senior, or grad ring) is a
84:
447:
417:
United States Naval
Academy Alumni Association and Foundation.
72:
56:
21:
375:
340:
390:
25:A class ring in a ring case. This ring is made of
460:
75:to commemorate their final academic year and/or
281:"Ring melt ceremony bonds past with the future"
149:vein connects the left ring finger to the heart
236:United States Military Academy class ring
39:
20:
461:
184:United States Merchant Marine Academy
169:Massachusetts Institute of Technology
131:The "Complete Book of Etiquette" by
328:CLASS RINGS, MINIATURES, AND A-PINS
16:Ring worn to commemorate graduation
13:
14:
490:
440:
179:United States Coast Guard Academy
446:
174:United States Air Force Academy
116:United States Service Academies
479:Education in the United States
410:
384:
369:
334:
321:
305:
286:United States Military Academy
273:
248:
189:United States Military Academy
141:United States Military Academy
105:United States Military Academy
1:
393:"Class Ring Memorial Program"
241:
378:"MIT Brass Rat Melt Project"
376:MIT Brass Rat Melt Project.
154:
7:
204:
194:United States Naval Academy
10:
495:
343:"The Citadel Band of Gold"
341:The Citadel Band of Gold.
312:Complete Book of Etiquette
98:
29:and contains a synthetic
391:West Point Association.
120:Senior Military Colleges
126:
48:
37:
43:
24:
455:at Wikimedia Commons
256:"Custom class rings"
231:Texas A&M ring
79:, generally for a
49:
47:class ring of 1975
38:
469:Rings (jewellery)
451:Media related to
397:www.westpoint.org
357:on April 25, 2016
293:on April 19, 2012
486:
450:
434:
433:
431:
429:
414:
408:
407:
405:
403:
388:
382:
381:
373:
367:
366:
364:
362:
353:. Archived from
338:
332:
325:
319:
309:
303:
302:
300:
298:
289:. Archived from
277:
271:
270:
268:
266:
252:
45:Damavand College
494:
493:
489:
488:
487:
485:
484:
483:
459:
458:
443:
438:
437:
427:
425:
419:"Bonds of Gold"
415:
411:
401:
399:
389:
385:
374:
370:
360:
358:
347:www.citadel.edu
339:
335:
326:
322:
310:
306:
296:
294:
279:
278:
274:
264:
262:
254:
253:
249:
244:
207:
157:
129:
101:
17:
12:
11:
5:
492:
482:
481:
476:
471:
457:
456:
442:
441:External links
439:
436:
435:
409:
383:
368:
333:
320:
316:Amy Vanderbilt
304:
272:
246:
245:
243:
240:
239:
238:
233:
228:
223:
221:MIT class ring
218:
213:
206:
203:
202:
201:
196:
191:
186:
181:
176:
171:
166:
156:
153:
133:Amy Vanderbilt
128:
125:
100:
97:
15:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
491:
480:
477:
475:
472:
470:
467:
466:
464:
454:
449:
445:
444:
424:
420:
413:
398:
394:
387:
379:
372:
356:
352:
348:
344:
337:
329:
324:
317:
313:
308:
292:
288:
287:
282:
276:
261:
257:
251:
247:
237:
234:
232:
229:
227:
224:
222:
219:
217:
214:
212:
211:Doctoral ring
209:
208:
200:
199:Virginia Tech
197:
195:
192:
190:
187:
185:
182:
180:
177:
175:
172:
170:
167:
165:
162:
161:
160:
152:
150:
146:
142:
137:
134:
124:
121:
117:
112:
110:
106:
96:
92:
90:
86:
82:
78:
74:
70:
66:
62:
58:
54:
53:United States
46:
42:
35:
32:
28:
27:white ultrium
23:
19:
426:. Retrieved
423:www.usna.com
422:
412:
400:. Retrieved
396:
386:
371:
359:. Retrieved
355:the original
346:
336:
323:
311:
307:
295:. Retrieved
291:the original
284:
275:
263:. Retrieved
259:
250:
158:
138:
130:
113:
102:
93:
60:
50:
18:
453:Class rings
428:January 24,
351:The Citadel
164:The Citadel
81:high school
463:Categories
242:References
145:West Point
114:The other
109:West Point
89:university
77:graduation
61:class ring
402:April 15,
361:April 15,
216:Iron ring
155:Ring melt
474:Academia
318:, p. 156
297:June 15,
265:March 3,
205:See also
118:and the
69:students
67:worn by
34:gemstone
31:sapphire
99:History
85:college
51:In the
226:X-Ring
73:alumni
57:Canada
331:live.
87:, or
430:2017
404:2016
363:2016
299:2008
267:2016
127:Wear
71:and
65:ring
59:, a
55:and
143:at
107:at
465::
421:.
395:.
349:.
345:.
314:,
283:.
260:CR
258:.
111:.
91:.
83:,
432:.
406:.
380:.
365:.
301:.
269:.
36:.
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
