Are Class Rings Worth It?

High school and college students aren’t well known for their wealth and riches.

You’re more likely to see a high school junior scrounging up quarters to buy ice cream in the cafeteria than saving up for fine jewelry. A college student has to count pennies knowing that next semester’s textbooks can add up quickly.

When cash is tight, you might be reluctant to spend your savings on seemingly “extra” things like class rings. We get it. With the future hoving over you, the urge to save your cash for rent or a new interview suit isn’t misguided. 

Even so, this has led many students to ask, “Are class rings worth it?” There’s nothing worse than FOMO (Fear of Missing Out). Do you want to let this significant milestone pass you by? 

We believe that buying class rings is an investment. Class ring cost isn’t about paying for an object but investing in a legacy. In the future, the money you spend will seem like small potatoes compared to the value you glean later in life.

Keep reading to learn a few great reasons why you’ll be glad you bit the bullet and bought a class ring after all.

A Ring Is a Ticket to the Past

Whether in high school or college, you have a lot to look forward to before graduation. You can expect a schedule packed with senior week events, graduation practice, awards ceremonies, and more. Some days you’ll feel like you never stop moving as you go from one event to another. 

Each event that you attend during this turbulent time in your life will become a future memory. Many of the details will get lost over time, but the artifacts will remain.

You will find yourself with photographs, ceremony programs, and dried carnations. Each will serve as a relic of a moment that you worked toward for years. Few souvenirs are as timeless and valuable as a class ring. 

Furthermore, your class ring is more than just an object. It’s a ticket to participate in various meaningful student traditions that will become one of your many memories. 

For example, many schools offer a junior ring ceremony. Students get dressed up and gather to hear keynote speeches and affirming words from favorite school faculty members. The community comes together to celebrate the new crop of seniors who will be the school’s next leaders. 

In many schools, the ceremony is only the beginning of the tradition. Following the ceremony, many schools encourage “the turning of the ring.” You will be able to connect or re-connect with friends and teachers who changed your life as they give your new ring a turn. 

Memories are priceless, and all of these events and experiences will become moments that you look back on with fondness. Don’t you want to remember the end of your junior year fondly? Students who forego buying a ring will miss out and may retain memories of feeling excluded instead. 

Gold Is Worth More Than You Think 

We believe that buying a class ring is an investment in your memories. It can also be a solid financial investment. If you select a ring made of precious metal, you will have an heirloom piece of jewelry that won’t lose value. 

Your ring is more likely to grow than drop in value. Over the past fifty years, the price of gold has increased substantially. This goes beyond supply and demand, as gold’s value is directly tied to the economy and, in many cases, the value of the US Dollar. 

The truth is that the value of gold can sometimes move opposite the US Dollar. This is because it’s valued across the world, not just domestically. This means that even inflation won’t have a significant effect on your investment in this precious metal. 

Either way, demand continues to rise as mining production continues to decrease around the world. Large ETFs wish to invest in gold, which drives demand, too. As technology improves, metal will remain in demand as a resource in manufacturing and engineering. 

As long as there are central banks and government vaults, there will be a demand for silver and gold. These are the same materials that comprise high-quality class rings. If the world remains on its trajectory, this is the perfect time to invest in a piece that can only grow in value over time. 

All that to say, feel free to buy a ring to participate in your class festivities! If you change your mind later or choose to stop selling it, the metal will be worth something. You should have no trouble selling your gold to a jeweler, and you might even make a small profit.

The Value of Pride in Your Achievements

Some students breeze through their academic careers like it’s a walk in the park. Others go through struggles to come out on the other side with a diploma or degree. Whether the battle is academic, financial, or even social, you deserve to be proud of your accomplishments. 

A class ring serves as a physical reminder of exactly how far you have come in four years of hard work and dedication. You might even choose to have your accomplishments engraved on the side of the ring for all to see. When someone asks about your class ring symbol meaning, you will be able to tell them about all you’ve achieved in four short years.

A diploma may hang on a wall. You might have to wait months after you graduate even to pick up a copy. On the other hand, a ring will be on your person at all times as a reminder of all that you have done. 

Even if you aren’t a star student, you probably have something to be proud of. Class rings are classic symbols for student-athletes who wish to take some school pride with them beyond graduation. Your dedication to your sport is worth memorializing in a traditional way. 

You will always have a reminder of your proudest moments right there on your college ring finger. After high school, wearing your class ring can help you feel connected to the community you may be leaving behind. For those students going away to school, this reminder is a comfort. 

Something to Leave Behind For Loved Ones

If you are reading this, you are probably on the cusp of a significant life transition. Maybe you’re heading to college or starting a career. Perhaps you’re beginning an apprenticeship or internship or starting a new trade.

Wherever you’re going, and whatever you’re doing, everything has an air of excitement to it. Have you ever wondered why we wear most rings on the ring finger? Ancient civilizations believed that there was a vein in that finger that ran directly to the heart. 

And what finger does a class ring go on? The ring finger! As your heart beats and your palms grow slick with anticipatory sweat, your ring will absorb your energy and capture it for generations.

We hope that you haven’t experienced too much loss in your life. Unfortunately, however, all loss is eventually inevitable. What do you want to leave behind for your loved ones when you complete your journey one day? 

When you design your class ring, you will be putting yourself into every choice. You’ll consider the metal, the shape, the stone, the engravings. It will become the physical embodiment of who you are at that moment in time. 

Imagine having access to something so precious after a loss. Your ring will become a relic and an heirloom that children and grandchildren will treasure. As vintage style remains popular, they may even wish to clean your ring up and wear it themselves! 

A ring is a precious gift that you can leave behind for future generations. To do that, you need to invest now.

You Can Trade It Up

If you’re a high school student, you might consider waiting until college to purchase your first class ring. College graduation might seem like a more significant milestone. But when do you get a class ring in college?

Usually, you will pick out your college class ring late in your junior year or early in your senior year. That means, if you get a high school class ring junior year, you will have four or five years to wear it before you need to consider college rings. That’s quite a long time, and you could be spending that time enjoying your ring.

“So,” you might ask, “when should I order my class ring?” 

You can order in high school, and then you can trade up when it’s time to order a college ring. Remember what you read above about the value of precious metals? Many ring companies will allow you to trade your current class ring for a new one when the time comes.

All that to say, there’s no need to decide between the two. You can enjoy your high school ring for a few years and then trade it for a ring representing your latest, greatest accomplishment.

Of course, you always have the option of keeping both.

You Can Include It in New Traditions

The concept of the class ring originated at West Point Military Academy. Graduates have a lot of traditions surrounding the rings. That even includes using a class ring or replica class ring to propose marriage.

You might not have quite as much school pride as a West Point grad, but that doesn’t mean that you need to hide your ring away when you’re done wearing it. Many students continue to wear their class rings for a lifetime.

What hand do you wear your class ring on? Traditionally, the right! That means that when you’re ready to tie the knot, you don’t need to take off your class ring to do it. 

College class ring etiquette doesn’t dictate where to wear a class ring beyond graduation. Many students learned how to wear a class ring on a chain around their necks. 

If you decide to take off your ring, there are plenty of storage and display options that will elevate your ring to a place of beauty. Many graduates include their class rings in decorative shadow boxes. They become part of their memories for a lifetime. 

If you marry your high school sweetheart, you might even wish to display your class rings as part of a wedding display. They look great, along with family photos and other memorabilia from the relationship. The motif of “trading one ring for another” is classic.

You might also wish to include your class ring in a personal time capsule as a memento for your future self! Whatever you decide, know that you are not limited to wearing your ring forever. There are plenty of new traditions, and you’ll be glad you can include your ring.

Class Rings Are Worth It!

Money might be tight right now, but it won’t be that way forever. As you forge ahead into your future, you will come to recognize that the price of class rings is worth paying. In return, you will gain a lifetime of memories in physical form.

Are you ready to make an investment that you can enjoy and appreciate for generations to come? You can start your journey by visiting ClassRings.com and browsing our selection. We’re sure that you will find that buying your class ring was worth it for many reasons.