Ecclesiastical Rings.— Closely allied to 'the wedding ring is the ecclesiastical ring, cere monially wedding the wearer to the Church, as well as signifying the dignity of the office. Most important of these insignia jewels is the papal ring, called the *Fisherman s Ring* (or anulus piscatoris), with its gem stone contain ing an engraving (used by the Pope for' his Seal) of Saint Peter in a bark pulling up a fishing net and the Pope's name above. A new one is conferred by the cardinal-chamberlain, to be broken on the death of the Pontiff. Episcopal rings conferred on bishops and ab bots are of gold embellished by a stone; the latter must not be cut (as is the papal ring) but left in its natural form (see Fig. 15), though' polished. The stone was formerly green (emerald favored), later blue (sapphire), but Dr. Kunz says: *Besides rubies and emeralds,, balas-rubies, turquoises, chalcedonies and even opals were used, pearls and garnets also ap pear The episcopal ceremonial ring is worn by the bishop outside his glove, and is, therefore, quite a large ring. An amethyst, emblematic of sincerity innocence and earthly suffering is worn in tie rings of cardinals and bishops as a sign of submission to the Church as well as of spiritual Decade rings came into being in the 14th cen tury and are so termed from the fact that they have. 10 projections on their circumference.
They answer the purpose of a rosary (see Fig. 16) and each knob represents an Ave, while the head or bezel (often with I.H.S. and the three nails) represents the Pater Nosier. Peculiar to England and Scotland are the so called iconographic rings, with their Virgin Mary and Child, or saints' images, in gold or silver. They were made from 1390 to 1520_ The Jewish ceremonial wedding ring is fre quently a very large and cumbersome device With its bezel towering into the architecture of houses (see Fig. 17) and with raised filigree ornamental circlet. A very noted ceremonial ring is the English *Coronation* ring; it is of pure gold and large, being worn over the glove, generally on the index finger of the right hand fornierly, except on celebrating Mass, when it is changed to the annular finger. Usually it has A large violet-hued table-cut ruby, and a Saint George's cross is engraved on the flat surface; 26 diamonds surround the ruby.
Memorial Rings.— In olden times it was the custom to bequeath memorial rings to one's friends, as is shown in many wills. Richard II (1400) left a gold ring to each of his nine executors. Shakespeare (1616) bequeathed rings to a number of friends. Samuel Pepys willed 123 memorial rings to surviving friends. Followers of Charles I, after his execution, wore memorial rings, some with his effigy or name on them, and it established a custom that lasted' for many years. Black enamel or niello was favored for memorial rings, but in the 18th century young maidens' deaths were memorial ized with rings in white enamel. Hair from the head of deceased, in the end of the 18th century, was used in forming a device in the bezel. Later very plain rings came into vogue with just a motto, as: *To the Memory of Other mottos seen are: *Not lost but gone before,* *Memento Mori,* etc. But the *Memento Mori' rings so-called are those bearing a death's head. Extant are rings with the letters BDLK, they stand in memory of executed lords Balmerino, Derwentwater, Lovat and Kilmarnock.
Occult Rings.— The fact that, in rnedimval days, certain peculiar-shaped pieces of stone, metal, ore, etc., were considered to have occult powers of great value led to the setting such talismans in finger-rings to obtain security and portability. Cabalistic words or sentences also served for occult influences and we find them on rings (see Figs. 18-20) ; astrological signs of significance are frequently found on such talismanic rings. Great curative power was supposed to be possessed by certain mystic rings carried by physicians of olden times, they are known as medicinal rings; Galen (about 200 A.D.) was renowned as a doctor and tells of
a green jasper amulet of King Nechepsus, of Egypt, that had a design cut in it representing a dragon surrounded by rays. He said it was a most potent remedial agent for the digestive organs. To be numbered among the medicinal rings are the *royal cramp rings.' Edward the Confessor, king of England (1042 66) instituted the practice, according to the legend, from the fact that, he being without money, one day when an aged pilgrim ac costed him, the royal personage handed over a ring as alms. The pilgrim turned out to . be no other than the Apostle Saint John in disguise, who sent the ring 'back to the Icing with the information that he had blessed the ring and it now had great curative power. Since which time, up to the reign of Queen Mary, the English kings and queens had blessed and distributed a number of rings on Good Friday which were said to be a sure cure for sickness') (epilepsy) and were termed °cramp rings.* The antithesis of medicinal were poison rings. The Borgias are said to have used rings containing poison, which, by pressing the victim's hand, pricked and poisoned with deadly effect Such rings dating from that period are in existence; the poison (liquid) was hidden in a small cavity in the bezel. In ancient times it appears to have been a frequent custom to wear a ring contain ing a deadly poison with which to escape from torture if prisoner. Hannibal took a fatal dose of poison from his ring when he was to be given over to his enemies, the Ro mans. °Posey rings* were a mediaeval inven tion and contained inscribed love mottoes. The word is frequently spelled poses and poesie; originally they were called "chanisons* or °reasons.* The earlier specimens have , the couplets engraved on the outside, but later (by the 16th century) they were hidden in the inside where only the wearers could see them. On them we find such expressions as: °Many are the starres I see, Yet in my eye no starre like thee,* °No love so hard as love debarred,* °My life is done when thou art gone.* La Semaine rings of France came into i vogue in the 19th century, and carried seven stones, the name of each commencing with the same letter as the day of the week.
Giminel rings (spelled also gimmal, gem mel, gemmow, etc.) were old style matrimonial rings composed of twin loops (see Fig. 21) that linked into each other. While generally double we find them made in triplets, or even further complicated. Herrick writes: °Thou sent'st to me a true-love knot, but I return a ring ofjinunels, to imply thy love had one knot, make mine a triple tie.* The device of the noted Cosimo di Medici consisted of three diamond rings entwined (see Fig. 22) ; they recall the fact that at an early date diamonds were set in rings, before the method of cutting them was discovered, with the natural conical point of the crystal extending from the bezel. These points were used by the ladies and gentry to cut love couplets and other inscriptions on glass windows, etc.
Hololith rings, Dr. Kunz tells us, are those made entirely of a single piece of stone. Per haps the most costly of these is that emanating from the Mogul Empire (16th century) and made for Jehangir Shah. It is cut out of a single emerald °of exceptional purity' and beauty of color.* More frequent are rings made solely of amber, rock-crystal, chalcedony, car nelian, jade, coral, steatite, ivory, etc.
Bibliography.— Dalton, 0. M.,