Not too long ago I discovered an offer which is a great example of double exclusivity. Veritas Rings.

These rings can only be purchased by Harvard alums and their immediate family. As if that was not exclusive enough, they only made 20 of these rings. The two available designs feature the motto of Harvard University, the Latin word for “truth” (Veritas). Each ring can be personalized and a special certificate is issued.  The rings are priced accordingly, but nothing too extraordinary, considering the “double exclusivity” that has been already described. It must be added, however, that when I decided to follow the “easy order” link  (because I would actually qualify to buy one of these rings) it lead me to a PayPal shopping cart. Not what you would expect. But I still don’t think that there is anything fishy. Harvard would not allow anything like that! The moral of this story is, if you are looking for exclusive rings try to find a combination of several factors that make the product unique. Even the seller may not be aware of these factors. You see, exclusivity is in the eyes of the beholder.

An interesting article in The San Diego Reader goes into great detail describing the process of jewelry engraving by hand. This art is not going through its best times in the age of industrial laser engravers. Still, even the traditionally-minded hero of the article admits that he will use a laser to work on the inside of the ring. It sounds like the journalist who wrote the piece is planning to give her mother and her mother-in-law a pendant with their names engraved on it. And, get this, the lady’s names will be interwoven with the author’s own! That may be too much.

http://www.sandiegoreader.com/news/2009/apr/22/jewelry-engraving/

I would also like to point out my list of Latin dedications that can be engraved on gifts for friends and family:

Engraved Dedications for friends and family

There is a system, of French origin, that allows to record messages on jewelry using gems whose names begin with specific letters. For instance, the so-called “Regard” rings had inscriptions formed by a combination of such stones:

Ruby

Emerald

Garnet

Amethyst

Ruby

Diamond

Lapis lazuli

Opal

Verd  antique

Emerald

You can easily write a simple motto or a name using this system. There is even something secretie and mysterious about it. The only problem is that it may be difficult to find gems that begin in certain letters. I suppose you can replace them with other types of minerals or use the same gemstone for more than one letter (Ruby can represent both R and Y)

Rune Converter: Turn Roman Letters Into Runes

The idea of “our song” is a well-known phenomenon. Many couples have a song that they associate with some memorable moment in their lives. Very often this song is played during the wedding as the newly married couple dances to it (this is a memorable moment in its own right, of course). Now, wouldn’t it be clever to have the lines from this song engraved on the wedding rings? You can either go with one line or the entire text of the lyrics. If musical notation means something to you, the notes can be also very beautifully displayed on the ring.

I assume that this idea would also work for certain types of promise rings.

Name plate with attached bag of candy
Helium-filled baloons
Beads made out of pasta
Cookies, decorated at the party
Inexpensive Jewelry
Photos taken at the party (framed)
Photo albums
Tea cups
Small stuffed animals (e.g. Webkinz)
Removable tattoos
Stickers
Mp3 downloads gift cards
Candles (aromatic, can be personalized)
Coloring mats
Party favor cones (instead of bags)
Keychains (can be personalized)
Jigsaw puzzles decorated at the party
Small pillows (can be decorated at the party)
Bags of gourmet coffee beans
Small plants
Sewing kits
Customized candy (m&ms etc.)
Flip-flops
Beach balls
Magic sets
Hand towels (can be decorated and personalized)
Assorted soap bars and bath salts
Personalized pens and pencils
Wands, glow-in-the dark sticks
Personalized cups or glasses
Scones
Time capsules
Bottles of bubble bath mix
Bandanas (can be personalized)
Recipe books
Assorted tea bags
A doll that looks like the bride or the b-day girl
Caleidoscopes
Tiaras and wands
Hot chocolate in nicely decorated packets
Playing cards
Whistles (can be decorated)
Flashlights
Bags of colored chalk
Trading cards
Cofee scoops (can be decorated and personalized)
Small vases (can be decorated)
Flower arrangements
Mini pinatas
CDs with songs and fairytales
Small bottles of olive oil and balsamic vinegar
Boxes of Christmas ornaments (can be personalized)
Goggles
Bottle-openers (can be personalized)
Money clips (can be personalized)
Personal seals
Small stuffed toys

Here is the link:

Runic Love Quotes

All you need to find is a service that makes ring engravings from image files (jpg etc). I know for fact that there are many websites that do exactly that. Then you can surprise you beautiful Norwegian girldfriend with a ring inscription that she may not be able to read, but which will definitely warm up her cold Nordic heart.

Chastity and abstinence are often associated with religion. With good reasons, to be sure. However, moral choices of such importance can be made by people of little or no religious zeal. Although the most common purity ring inscription “True love waits” could easily be taken outside of religious context (particularly because “love” in this sense is not necessarily a Christian notion), it seems to me that many individuals would rather emphasise the fact that wearing the purity ring and remaining on the course of actions required by such a commitment is, above all, their personal choice, a decision that they consciously made. Also, this kind of resolution is likely to draw more sympathy and respect. Hence such possible inscriptions for purity rings:

• I have decided
• My decision
• My choice
• My path

Perhaps, the same mottos can be applied to promise rings of other types (a purity ring is, essentially, a promise ring), as long as the same sentiment of personal choice and decision needs to be emphasized.

AMORE VOLE FE

This phrase found on a fifteenth century ring means something along the lines of “Love cannot exist without trust”.

Of course, the clasped-hand design is now most famous as a feature of Irish Claddagh rings.

Still, what does this mean? This can represent the idea of time (the numerals are I-XII), combined with the idea of eternity (a very persistant symbolic interpretation of a ring). 12, of course, is also the number of apostles, but I do not see much religious significance in this design. There may be other forms of numerology in place here. Some of the less insane sounding interpretations are:

• Twelve is the number of something that is complete and forms a whole, a perfect and harmonious unit. In  ancient civilizations, this number corresponds to the idea of plenitude, completion and integrity of a thing.
• Number 12 is a symbol of material and spiritual food, because of the 12 breads which Jesus Christ broke at the Last Supper, Himself being the Bread of Life.
• 12 symbolizes power and the Good, and governs both space and time, that is to say the operation of the Cosmos, hence its designation as a “cosmic number”. http://www.ridingthebeast.com/numbers/nu12.php)

See also:

Roman Numerals: Charts, Tips, History