Rings and things

Olympic Symbols

The Olympics Rings logo is representative of the five continents of the world participating in the games and was designed back in 1913. Then there’s the Olympic Flame – the fire that is carried literally across the world into the host country.

The flame is lit in Olympia, Greece – the ancient birthplace of the Olympic games. And then the flame is carried in a relay run through areas of significance until it arrives in the country hosting the Olympic games, at which point it lights a large bonfire to represent the arrival of the games. The flame is a symbol of the continuity of the Olympics games from ancient history to the modern day.
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Finally, there are the symbols awarded to the winning competitors in each event. The medals. As you no doubt know, they are presented in Gold, Silver and Bronze. In ancient history no medals were awarded at all, just an olive wreath or olive branch. The medals were first introduced in 1896 when the winner would receive a silver medal and the runner up a bronze medal. Naturally, the symbolic distinction is that silver is more valuable. The gold medal was later introduced in 1904.

Engagement Rings

There are two rings involved in weddings – the engagement ring and the wedding ring.

Reliably dating back to Roman times, though perhaps all the way back to the Egyptians, the engagement ring is the symbol indicating that someone has entered a formal agreement to marry. The offering and acceptance of a ring symbolises a contract.

​These days the go-to ring of choice for an engagement is a diamond ring. Often a solitaire, though there is freedom of choice regarding styles.

Wedding rings

The wedding ring’s existence is wholly to represent the fact that the wearer is married. It is an immediate signal of marital status but there is a little more complexity than that. The shape of a ring, a circle, is also symbolical of unending love. A circle has no beginning and no end. The wedding ring is also a physical symbol of the promise of commitment made during the wedding ceremony.

Also, the ring finger itself is said to be symbolic as well. An ancient belief is that the ring finger was directly connected to the heart. It was also believed that wearing a ring on this finger would clear illnesses!
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Diamonds have their place too!

To understand the symbolism of the diamond we have to understand it. Diamond is the hardest naturally occurring substance known! Most natural diamonds are 1 billion or more years old! Diamond is a form of carbon, so diamond is a form of the same material as the coal you burn on your barbecue or the graphite in your pencil.

As mentioned, the go to engagement ring of choice is the diamond, but why?

Diamond is actually so hard that the only thing that cuts it is other diamonds! The word diamond actually comes from ancient Greek meaning ‘unbreakable’. This is where diamonds get their first symbolism – the ‘eternal’ nature of diamonds, their unbreakable nature, is a symbol of the eternal love between the engaged couple. Diamonds are also said to have a spiritual meaning relating to good health.

Just so you know, there have been many famous diamonds throughout history. The most famous in the UK is the Koh-I-Noor. It was given to Queen Victoria and weighed an astonishing 186ct! It was cut down into shape and has been used as part of the crown jewels ever since. It’s currently housed in the Tower of London. Though it’s obviously far too big to be worn as a solitaire.
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These days, diamonds don’t have to be natural and super expensive. There are modern methods of growing diamonds in labs! There are several practices where carbon can be taken and used to create diamonds – this process has now become a way to take the ashes of a loved one and create something that will last an eternity.