How to Choose a School Ring Inscription: A Guide

In 2020, 3,209,510 students graduated from high school in the U.S. This was in the midst of a global pandemic that shut down in-person learning during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Graduation is a special time to celebrate your achievements and the culmination of your academic studies. A class ring is a terrific way to remember your time at your high school or college. It’s a personalizable and unique way to commemorate your educational experience.

Most class rings can be customized with a ring inscription for an extra special touch. But what is a ring inscription, and what can you use for your ring message?

In this guide, we’ll detail ways you can create a ring inscription for your class ring and give you some examples of class ring messages you can use. If you’re interested in finding out more about a ring inscription for a class ring, keep reading. 

What Is a Ring Inscription?

A ring inscription is a type of ring engraving. Ring inscriptions go on the inside of the band of your class ring on the part that rests against the underside of your finger. This ring inscription is more private because you can’t see it unless you take off the ring to read it.

Although often attributed to wedding and engagement rings, a ring inscription for a class ring offers an additional form of personalization for graduates. This makes class rings ideal as mementos. 

In order to engrave a ring inscription, you need to make certain that your ring band is not too thin. Thin bands cannot be engraved as well as thicker ring bands. In some cases, it just isn’t an option at all, as the text would be too small and difficult to read and the engraving process could damage the ring band’s structure.

You will also have only a small amount of space to use for your ring inscription. The average number of characters for a ring inscription is about 15 to 20 characters, including spaces, numbers, letters, and punctuation. This is also depending on the ring style, size, and the width of the ring’s band.

With only a fixed amount of room for customizing, this can make choosing a ring inscription much trickier. Here are some ideas you can use to pick a ring inscription for your class ring. 

Bible Verses

Bible verses are a great form of inspiration and faith for a ring inscription. There are so many wonderful and uplifting Bible verses for graduates that you can choose from.

For those who rely on their faith to keep them going when life gets difficult, having a Bible verse for a ring inscription is a constant reminder that they are not alone.

In terms of space inside a class ring, a full Bible verse may not be able to fit because of its length. Some names of books in the Bible are also very long.

But there is a way to shorthand a Bible verse ring inscription. You can abbreviate the book name and then indicate precisely what verse you want by putting the chapter number separated by a colon and then the verse number. 

For example, a great Bible verse for graduates is Philippians, chapter 4, and verse 13. So you would write it as Phil, if Phillippians is too long, and then 4:13. Philippians 4:13 says “I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.”

Another good Bible verse for graduates is Joshua 1:9 which says, “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

Jeremiah 29:11 reads: “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This is a popular Bible verse for graduates.

Song Lyrics

Song lyrics are another fun way to personalize a ring inscription. While you may not have the space for a full lyric, you can always put in the first two to three words followed by an ellipsis to indicate there’s more. Avid music fans will be able to figure out the ring inscription with just the lead-in or part of the chorus.

Using song titles is also an option for incorporating a favorite song into your ring inscription. Most song titles are short with just one or two words. This makes it much easier to customize your ring inscription.

The band Green Day released a song called “Good Riddance,” but it has become more commonly referred to as “Time of Your Life” because of its repeating chorus “I hope you had the time of your life.” This song has become a sort of bittersweet anthem for graduates over the years and is also well-suited for a class ring inscription.

School Mottos

High schools and colleges alike both pride themselves on having distinct school mottos. If you’re looking to pay homage to your educational institution, a class ring inscription can be the best way to go.

Prestigious universities pride themselves on their school mottos. The benefit of most school mottos is that they are only a few words and they are short enough to place within the limited confines of ring engravings. So you can immortalize your school’s logo and find a great ring inscription at the same time.

Brown University uses the motto “In God we hope.” Brigham University has a two-part motto “Enter to learn; go forth to serve,” where the second half “Go forth to serve” may fit well as a ring inscription and an informative message to the grad moving forward.

Harvard University’s motto is simply “Veritas,” which is Latin for “Truth.” While Yale University’s logo is “Lux et Veritas’ which means “Light and “Truth.”

Latin Phrases

Going along with the category of school mottos, schools will often use Latin phrases as their school mottos, such as Harvard and Yale above. The beauty of using Latin phrases is that they are often shorter than their English counterparts, so they will fit better on a small ring inscription area. 

For example, one of the most popular Latin phrases is “Veni, Vidi, Vici,” which translates to “I came, I saw, I conquered.” The English variation would be too long to try to fit on a ring inscription, but in Latin, it’s just three short words that can easily fit in the space. Another variation is “Veni, Vidi, Amavi” which means, “I came, I saw, I loved.”

It is entirely up to you whether you would prefer to use the Latin or English version on your class ring, as long as the space permits it. Latin has a more classical and sophisticated appeal to it.

Coded Messages

A coded message is something personal that only the wearer of the class ring or their friends will know what it means. A coded message allows for privacy and sharing a personal message not everyone will be able to understand.

This could be used by members of a sorority or fraternity to denote their relationship with one another. This message could simply be a one-word code or an inside joke. Or it could be an actual cryptogram that you devise the key for.

You may even decide to go with a fantasy language from your favorite science fiction or fantasy book series, like the language of Elvish from the Lord of the Rings. Use the word “Carinwa” as the Elvish word for Completed since you have come to the end of your studies.

You can also use coded messages for other purposes too. Maybe your message is actually the geographic coordinates for your favorite place on campus. Or you could use netspeak, a way of creatively using internet slang and abbreviating words shorthand with letters and numbers for use in text messaging and typing messages online. 

Short Personal Sentiments

Parents, grandparents, spouses, or other loved ones who purchase the ring as a gift for you can use the inscription space to place their own personal message to you, the grad. This makes your class ring extra special because the message is from them to you. Whenever you look at your class ring, you can read the message.

It can be something as simple as just “Congratulations” or “So Proud of You.” The sentiment depends on the relationship of the person to the graduate. Some may opt for the use of a special nickname or other terms of endearment specific to the graduate.

A special short personal sentiment will also make your class ring inscription a cherished heirloom with sentimental value.

Movie and TV Quotes

There are so many movies and TV shows with iconic quotes that people love to commit to memory. While some are epic stanzas and soliloquies, others are short and punchy catchphrases that are ideal for class ring inscriptions.

Some movie and TV quotes are the zeitgeist of the time period they represent, while others are timeless and a part of pop culture history. It really all depends on what you’re into and how you want to personalize your ring inscription. 

If you’re a fan of Star Trek, you can use the Klingon language to write a unique message or quote. A widely quoted line from the movie Finding Nemo is “Just keep swimming.” This is not only a fun quote from a popular movie, but it’s also an inspirational piece of advice to encourage grads when times get tough.

If you’re not able to put the full quote in, you can put the title or the season and episode number instead. You can make it funny or put something poignant. The point is to make it pertinent to your interests or personality. 

Your Full Name

For some individuals, the inside band of their class ring provides just the right amount of space to engrave their full name. For someone earning their medical degree, it can also be used as a sign of prestige by placing ‘Dr.’ in front of the name.

If your name is too long to fit on the inside ring inscription, you can use your initials. Some individuals may opt to use a nickname or a pet name instead. It’s entirely up to you what you prefer best.

While you may know your own name, a benefit of putting your name inside your ring is that if you lose your ring, your name on the inside ring inscription of the band may help to identify who the ring belongs to. So there is a greater chance that you may be able to get it back later. 

Your Graduation Date

While you can personalize the year of your graduation in other areas of your class ring, maybe you will want to remember just what day it was that you officially graduated. So many people know approximately when they may have graduated, but for such a special occasion, don’t you want to remember the exact date?

Your ring inscription is the perfect place to engrave this information. A short numerical dash format also will not take up much space. To further customize your ring inscription, you can add what degree you achieved on this date, such as a Bachelor’s, Master’s, or Doctorate by placing the appropriate abbreviation next to the date.

In the future, if you or a family member finds the ring somewhere, they can see a perfect record of your accomplishments right there on the ring. It becomes a piece of your family history.

Find Affordable and Customizable Quality Class Rings at ClassRings.com

A personalized class ring is a representation of your personality and interests down to the last detail. Class rings are a fun and unique way to mark your graduation. But you don’t have to break the bank to find the perfect class ring.

ClassRings.com has beautiful and affordable class rings in stock. They are fully customizable with your choice of colored stone, metal type, logos, and a custom ring inscription on most designs. You can have your class ring delivered in 2 weeks or less!

Browse our full catalog of awesome class rings on our website and place your order today!