Talk Me Down On Lame Class Ring

[iLander]

My son wants one of those God-forsaken class rings.

The stones are horrible fakes (there's even a Padparadasha ), the metals are oddly named "Arista" and "Ultrium" (quote "a fine jewelers alloy").

This hot mess goes against everything PS has ever taught me . . .

Anybody else have one of these things? How much do I have to drink before I sign off on this over-priced junk?

Somebody help me justify this to myself . . .

 

[cellentani]

How much is this ring of horrors? Can you get a ring made for the same price to commemmorate his years of education? That would be a fun project!

 

[ooo~Shiney!]

How much is this ring of horrors? Can you get a ring made for the same price to commemmorate his years of education? That would be a fun project!

Trust me, they are too much!

Two of my sons (sorry, I mean "I") bought class rings, and they really liked them.

Sometimes, it's just what ya gotta do.....

 

[diamondringlover]

My son HAD to have one since everyone else has one, he graduated in 2004 so this would have been around 2002 when I got his and I did not get the white gold, I got the looks like white gold and never turns material, I dont remember what the heck it was, it has his birthstone color (december) and I got a skateboard on the side and I think I paid close to $200 for it and I think maybe he wore it 3 times, once for prom, once for senior pictures (i forced him to do that) and maybe once right after he got it....I have it here at my house sitting in it's little box waiting for him to take it whenever he wants it. I remember he felt pretty strongly about getting one, so not sure if there is anyway around not getting one. I just dont recommend getting the solid gold one, they just dont wear them that much....

 

[Nashville]

Sorry, everyone gets a class ring, so you're just going to have to plaster on a smile and write the check. I had to have one in high school or I would just diiiiiiiie... now I don't even know where it is.

They usually cost between 200-350 for the standards. The princess foo-foo ones can go up to over $1,000. Did you know Wal Mart sells class rings that are practically identical to what you get in the catalogs? And they are like 100 bucks cheaper... just a thought.

 

[texaskj]

I would have to drink enough to pass out and have my credit card stolen.
Is there something else he wants around the same price range that's more practical? My parents got me a 14k ring with a little diamond that I wore for years instead. And there's always the world famous "Buy it yourself!" That even worked with my ex-husband.

 

[sphenequeen]

Look at it from your son's perspective - the objective in high school (despite what many kids say) is not necessarily to stand out, but to blend in. If all of his friends are getting class rings, then why wouldn't he want to have one as well? In a way, receiving one is a symbolic right of passage. Because of this, I would bite the bullet and get my son the class ring.

 

[Aoife]

Does he really want it, or does he want it just because he thinks everyone else is getting one? This may be kind of a regional thing, so it may be different where you live, but at the high school my daughters went to, class rings were only a big deal for a certain group, where it was a major status symbol. You had to get all the upgrades, blah, blah, blah. Neither of my daughters wanted one (they were in the artsy, theatre/dance/music group where the rings were not a big deal) and of their friends who did end up getting one, none of those friends wore the rings more than half a dozen times. Because, you know, most of them are really ugly IRL, and it was really more about getting one than it was about wearing them.

ETA: If one of my dd's had wanted one, I probably would have made her contribute to the cost, because I found that was a really good way to sort out whether something was really important, or just something she wanted.

 

[VapidLapid]

Class rings are classless. Unless he goes to Hogwart's.

 

[FrekeChild]

Can you get something made that LOOKS kinda like a class ring but isn't so....klassy?

I remember I fought my mom SO HARD to get a ring that didn't look like a class ring. She insisted that I get one anyway--probably because she always wanted one and her family couldn't afford it. I'll attach a picture of the one I got, which was kind of a compromise.

The one I had wanted was a pretty wide band with like 4 "diamonds" and had 2000 (each number) between the "diamonds" and my initials and the initials of my high school inside.

I'd go for something with his favorite color for the stone, and put some initials and grad year on the inside. Then he can wear it forever!

 

[packrat]

My class ring was the one that looked the least like a "class ring" too. Doesn't fit anymore but I still have it.

 

[VapidLapid]

Oy vey!
2000 A.D.!
My hideous 10kt gold monstrosity that was lost and not searched for said 1978!!

I do still know ONE person from high school. She has class, but no class ring.

 

[Arcadian]

I didn't get a class ring, mainly because I found them to be ugly. Had I wanted one I would have also had to pay for it with my own money. so um...no thanks. Ugly AND I had to pay for it? I got a cool necklace instead (real stone, real silver, I still have it ) My father has a ring from college (1960's y'all!) its UGLY! He still wears it too.


-A

 

[swingirl]

My daughter got one and it was a very sentimental item for her. My son could care less and never asked for one and wouldn't wear it if we got him one. I think if a person wants one, it means something special to them. It has nothing to do with the metal, stone, quality, etc. And most people I know who wanted and got one — have kept it.

 

[Largosmom]

Lost mine...regretted the loss for the sentimental value but never wore it past High School.

I would give a budget and suggest options that may look as cool and be more of a lifetime wearable item, but let him choose. Ultimately it's his taste that matters.

Laura

 

[E B]

I loved mine. It was white gold (or some sort of white metal) with a flat-faceted peridot and a symbol (I forget which) on either side. The chunky style, like the man's ring, but in a 'petite' woman's version. I wore it all of senior year.

It's back at home with my mom who says she can't find it, but if I can next time I visit, I'm bringing it back with me. Ah, memories.

I say let him get the one he wants if you can afford it. It could hold a lot of great memories for him 10, 20 years from now.

 

[Circe]

Ugh, class rings. I didn't get one in high school because, well, I hated high school. I did get one in college, because I was valedictorian, and it was a big thing ... went to the extent of having it personalized with my majors, and swapping out the ugly fake stone for a v. nice star sapphire. Have I ever worn it? NO.

I do wish I'd gotten one from my graduate school, which has a "name" and which also has nice, elegant, signet-style rings ... but by that point, I had better things to spend my money on, like, say, a mortgage. Nevertheless.

I'd say if your son wants one and it will be significant in terms of peer-bonding, if he liked high school and will treasure it as a memento, it's worth it. But if he could be steered to a nice watch he would actually wear instead in college, that seems like a better bet ....

 

[Amber St. Clare]

We paid for one for my son when he was in high school....I think he lost it within a month

 

[Michael_E]

If you absolutely have to have a class ring and are going to spend a significant amount on it, I would suggest having your favorite CAD jeweler make it as a custom ring to your specs. I've done this for a few local jewelers and it allows the buyer to get a ring which suits them and will probably get worn more, later in life, (at a cost which is similar or even less than the "class ring" outfits will tag you for) .

If you're just going to go the low cost route, I would go as low in cost as possible and consider it a throw away piece which probably will get lost later anyway. Those "jewelers alloys" are really funky material and are not often re-sizable unless a laser is used and then the cost to size them can approach the cost of the ring.

 

[AustenNut]

I got a high school ring and wore it through several years of college, maybe even until grad school (my memory is a bit foggy). But I went through that ring catalog with a fine-tooth comb and found the best deal. For one of the no-name white metals I was able to have each side engraved and have a symbol put underneath the stone for about $100. Had I gotten the gold ring it would have been real money, and then each side would have cost an extra amount, etc. Basically I got all the "upgrades" at no cost with the no-name metal. But the picture in the catalog was tiny. Like they had 15 pictures on a page, and this was one of them. Whereas the gold ones got full 2-page spreads for each one.

Basically, I suspect that if you look really carefully at the catalog there will be a way to find a ring that doesn't cost an arm and a leg that may or may not get much use in the future. But it will be a ring from the same company most people at his school will have. And as others have said, you can always have him contribute to the cost of the ring.

By the way, I think the company name may have been Trent Jones, or something like that. Just in case your son's school uses the same company.

 

[kelpie]

Maybe you can get a jeweler to make a quality one out of a metal that is not imaginary sounding. I can see how it is important for him to have one, but maybe go above and beyond for something quality? I do like the stoneless signet rings, very classy and mysterious because I'm always trying to decipher the meaning.

 

[deorwine]

Hee. I still have my high school class ring. Our school mascot was a unicorn, so that was one side of the ring, and I was a total nerd so had them put a dragon on the other side. It was made out of some random alloy with a weird name like "electrium" or something. It has a "ruby simulant" -- I still have no idea what it is, maybe a synthetic spinel? I've never worn it since high school. It was about $100. It is an extremely ugly ring, as you can probably tell from the description.

...And I love it. I found it a while back in my jewelry box while looking for something else, and it just brought back a whole bunch of memories. So yeah, I think there's room in everyone's life for one extremely ugly ring. Though I really like Michael E's suggestion of getting a CAD jeweler to make a real ring.

 

[RTols88]

Class rings....
So funny story, I'm a Sr in college and considering buying a class ring. I've loved my time at KU but the prices are really high like $350 for a 10k white gold ring do you folks see that a price gouging? KU only works with one class ring company. I'm a fan of the signet style rings. I'm also thinking of going to my custom guy for him to make the ring does anyone know what the rules for jewelers in terms of trademarked logos and such?

 

[lovemybling]

I have my class ring, I have the petite version on the "classic" ring. My boyfriend and I got matching rings. We both chose the onyx black stone and had each others intial engraved on the inside. (our school colors were Black and Orange so that is why we chose black).

We had the school mascot on one side and what we lettered in on the other side. I wore mine every day until I started college, I think. I am glad I have it as a keepsake. I think it is good to get that class ring when you are a sophmore that way you have 3 years to really wear and enjoy.

Yes, as an adult you see the ring and think CHEESY but, to a teenager it is an important rite of passage. I say be proud of your child and his accomplishments and let him have his class ring.

GOOD LUCK

 

[jstarfireb]

I have class rings from both high school and college, but honestly, not everyone in my class got them. Probably not even the majority. Though I'm glad to have them as keepsakes, I rarely wear them, and I wouldn't have bought them if my parents hadn't paid.

I also like the idea of customizing a men's ring through a trusted jeweler (you'd get WAY more bang for your buck since class rings are unbelievably overpriced), but like RTols88 mentioned, the mascot/logo may be trademarked and difficult to duplicate. You may just have to bite the bullet and get the overpriced one if that's what he really wants. It may be the only ring he wears until a wedding ring comes into the picture.

Here's an analogy. If you spend any time in RockyTalky, you know that most PSers aren't in love with Tiffany engagement rings, because they charge a high premium, and you can get diamonds with better cut for much lower prices online. However, for some ladies, Tiffany is the be-all and end-all for engagement rings. If he wants this class ring like some girls want a Tiffany diamond, he probably won't be happy with customizing a ring somewhere else, even if it's better and cheaper.

 

[JewelFreak]

Yuck, class rings! Waaay overpriced. You wouldn't be caught dead in one later on. But you may have to slug a couple martinis & do the deed.

I still have my yearbooks & once in a blue moon actually look at them -- now, those are fun! The funny things friends wrote get me laughing in my relative old age. They bring back the energy, optimism, cuckoo-ness of the time & I rememeber what nice kids they were. Didn't buy a class ring & never regretted it for a second.

Get your son to save those yearbooks, or do it for him! They'll give him much more pleasure in years to come than a cheesy old ring.

--- Laurie

 

[iLander]

Well, I think most people told me what I suspected: I'm just going to have to suck it up and pay the cash. I did get out of him that he was willing to use part of his birthday cash allotment on it, so it must be a big deal. At least at the moment.

I'm glad some posters have fond memories and that others confirmed my suspicion; it may be a quickly forgotten gee-gaw. It can go either way, but it's nice to know that some people treasure theirs. There's hope.

You never know what will ultimately be important to your kids, often things that -to you- appear trivial. Isn't the entire profession of psychiatry based on this concept?

But STILL I don't know what's more offensive; the "simulated birthstones" or the "PREMIUM SIMULATED birthstones" for $60 more!

When all is said and done, this "ultrium" thing, in it's cheapest incarnation, will cost over $300. A real 10 WHOLE CARAT (TEN!) would cost around $500. I am in the WRONG business.

The suggestion of an alternate ring was met with this:

So, we worked on it together, and a tamer version was selected.

Now he won't look quite like a pimp that won the Super Bowl.

 

[Largosmom]

Well, you had to try the alternate suggestion even if the eye rolls were the result...perhaps ten years from now he'll kick himself for not taking you up on that.

Meanwhile he'll have a "cool" ring just like his friends, and hopefully some good memories to store away in it.

Laura

 

[MAC-W]

My son wants one of those God-forsaken class rings.

The stones are horrible fakes (there's even a Padparadasha ), the metals are oddly named "Arista" and "Ultrium" (quote "a fine jewelers alloy").

This hot mess goes against everything PS has ever taught me . . .

Anybody else have one of these things? How much do I have to drink before I sign off on this over-priced junk?

Somebody help me justify this to myself . . .

I think the standard amount is a bottle and a bit of wine LOL

Yes they are horrible fakes and yes they go against everything you have been taught on PS, but for an 18 year old trying to fit in, its crucial to have one, even if as other have said he only wears it 2 or 3 times. Its a "necessary" purchase - have another glass of wine and write that check - then have yet another glass of wine - hic!

 

[rparker1998]

I still have mine - never where it, but I do have it. I will post photos of it shortly...HIDEOUS...but you know what i'm glad I got it. I look at it and remmber the GOOD times I had - even though most of my HS years were filled with horror.