Spectacular design; exquisite jewelry with a love story attached, the Russian ring necklace UK has everything the modern couple could desire in a token of love. But what makes the Russian ring necklace so unique that you should consider gifting it to your partner?
Steeped in over two hundred years of history, each piece contains its own perfect love story that today’s jewelry designers have embellished with a modern twist, taking it beyond the realm of just lovers and onto the necks of the design savvy.
What is a Traditional Russian Ring Necklace?
A Russian ring necklace is a piece of jewelry that has three interlocking rings that has evolved from the traditional Russian wedding ring. Traditionally, each ring section was forged from a different metal, yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold. The design and imagery of the wedding ring itself, dates back to the early nineteenth century, when there are the first recorded uses of this design.
The interlocking design has been adapted over time for use with a chain to act as a necklace. Generally, this has been done by attaching a tiny hoop to one of the rings through which the precious metal chain is passed.
Deep Symbolism is Connected to the Tree Ring Design
The evolution to necklace probably came about because hanging a ring on a neck chain, when you have to remove, is fairly common practice but the imagery that this presented led to them being used as necklaces in their own right.
However, whether the three interlocking rings are worn as a wedding ring or as a necklace, there is a deep symbolism that lies behind the design, that is steeped both in the depths of the Russian Orthodox Religion as well as within the institution of marriage and the concept of everlasting love.
The Religious Symbolism Present in the Design of the Russian Ring Necklace
The Russian ring necklace’s most potent symbolism comes from traditional Russian Orthodox beliefs. The Great Schism of 1054 created Orthodoxy, bringing into being two main strands of Christianity, the Roman Catholic, and the Eastern Orthodox.
The schism’s reasons are complex, but fundamentally, it came down to who ran the church, which was underpinned by the flashpoint of the use of unleavened bread for the Eucharist. Although the schism has endured until today, the split was political rather than doctrinal. Thus the beliefs of the two churches are aligned with both placing great emphasis on the concept of the Holy Trinity, which is the root of the symbolism of the Russian ring necklace.
The Holy Trinity
The doctrine of the Holy Trinity states that there are three persons in one God. God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Holy Spirit (Ghost). The three rings on the Russian ring necklace represent each part, father, son, and holy spirit, with the interlocking representing them as a trinity, separate parts of the same being.
The use of the three rings as a wedding ring or gift signifies the blessing of the marriage by God, which is passed through the priest blessing the rings during the service.
The Rings Represent the Marriage
A secondary symbolism comes through the ring’s representation of the marriage itself. The various types of gold, yellow, white, and rose used in the construction of the rings denote different facets of a marriage.
The hardest metal is yellow gold, and this signified the union’s strength, being able to defend and defeat all obstacles to ensure an enduring marriage. The second metal, white gold, is a much softer material and is present in the rings to show the flexibility that will be required by both partners to make the marriage work. The final metal is rose gold which is the most unique and is meant to represent the indefatigable beauty of true love.
Eternal Love
There is a third level of symbolism that the Russian rings evoke, and this centers around the whole concept of love and relationships. Each ring signifies the path the relationship has taken and will take.
The first ring represents the relationship that has already passed since you met and your history. The second ring stands for the here and now, how the love story exists today. The final shows where the relationship is headed, and the fact that the ring’s interlock depicts that the love inside the union will last forever.
Modern Interpretations
Russian ring necklaces now exist in various forms, and some of the symbolism may be lost or is not relevant to the partners in a union or relationship today.
Modern jewelers like www.ifshe.co.uk utilize single metal ring sets, to go along with the multi-gold design. Names of the partners are also often engraved into the rings adding a new twist and level of modern symbolism to this stunning piece of jewelry.
Conclusion
Historically romantic or a modern-day style setter, a desire to own a Russian ring necklace can be caused by many reasons, but irrespective of the motivation, the necklessess’s spectacular beauty can not be ignored.
The modern variations on the original three-gold design have only enhanced the overall desirability of this unique jewelry piece. Love doesn’t have to even enter your considerations as the design stands out on its own.
The story that it can tell though, if love does exist between two souls, cannot be told in the same way by any other jewelry form, making it the most incredibly personal token of love you can be given.