Personalized Graduation Rings: 10 Options for Customizing Your Ring

Around 18% of college students graduate each year. That’s roughly about 4 million students. 

If you’re about to graduate and you want something special to mark the occasion, a personalized graduation ring is the perfect way to celebrate your achievements. Best of all, your ring is a representation of you.

Personalized graduation rings are fully customizable in so many ways. It’s a great way to create a memorable keepsake you’ll cherish. They are a unique way to remember your college or high school experience. 

Wondering how you can have your own personalized graduation ring? We’ll tell you how with this guide. Keep reading to discover more about personalized graduation rings. 

1. Choose Your Metal

When you customize your class rings, you can choose from 6 different metal types. Stainless Steel, Brass Gold, 925 Sterling Silver, 10K Gold, 14K Gold, and 18K Gold.

Stainless steel and 925 sterling silver will give your ring a more gray metallic appearance. Whereas all forms of gold will provide a more yellow-golden tone to your metal. 

It is important to note that different metals have different qualities to them as they contain varying levels of metal alloys. For instance, 925 sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver while the other 7.5% is comprised of metal alloys such as nickel and copper.

Sterling silver is much stronger and more durable than certain forms of gold, but stainless steel is much stronger than sterling silver. Stainless steel won’t corrode or tarnish like sterling silver. Stainless steel also costs a fraction of the price of sterling silver or gold, making it ideal for the budget-conscious individual who wants a long-lasting ring material. 

14K gold only contains 58.3% pure gold with 41.7% made up of other alloys like silver and copper with a more yellowed tone. 10K is made from 41.7% pure gold with 58.3% made from alloys. 18K gold is made out of 75% gold and only 25% alloy making it the most expensive of gold options.  

2. Choose Your Stone Shape

Another way you can create personalized graduation rings is through the stone shape or cut of the stone. A stone’s cut influences its shape and appearance in a class ring setting.

Some of the most popular styles of stone cuts are:

• the cushion cut
• the marquise cut
• the emerald cut
• the oval cut
• the princess cut
• the round cut

A stone’s cut and shape add character to the class ring. You can go big, bold, and daring with a cushion or emerald cut, which emphasizes the stone’s size. Or you can opt for something smaller and delicate for a subtle or more feminine look such as an oval, round, or marquise cut. 

For smaller stones, the use of accent stones can also add to their appearance in your class ring’s setting. Accent stones provide additional sparkle to the ring without detracting from the focal stone. Accent stones accompany the main stone with an equal amount displayed on the class ring to the left and the right of the stone. 

However, if you’re not the gemstone type of person, you can consider buying a class ring with no stone. This option instead gives you the ability to customize your class ring with a single initial of your name on the top of the ring instead. You can put your first name or last name on the ring for a distinct look.

 

3. Choose Your Stone Color

Once you have decided on your stone shape, if you decide to go with a stone at all, you’ll want to choose your stone’s color. But how do you decide which color to choose from?

Well, there are several options you can go with here. Many choose to go with their birthstone color. A birthstone is a particular type and color of stone that aligns with the month of your birth.

• January-Garnet
• February-Amethyst
• March-Aquamarine
• April-Diamond
• May-Emerald
• June-Alexandrite
• July-Ruby
• August-Peridot
• September-Sapphire
• October-Tourmaline
• November-Golden Topaz, Citrine
• December-Tanzanite, Blue Topaz, Blue Zircon

Others may choose to pick a stone color that represents one of the main colors of their school in the name of ultimate school spirit. 

Another way to choose your class ring’s stone color is to go with whatever your favorite color is. There’s no rule that says it must be your birthstone or your school’s color. You can just choose your favorite color stone because after all your class ring is an extension of who you are so don’t be afraid to personalize it how you want it.

4. Choose Your Logos

The class ring’s left and right sides, called the shanks, are for displaying logos on your class ring. These are insignia that relate to your time at your educational institution. They can represent certain clubs you were a part of or sports you took part in. 

They can also indicate your major, fields of study, interests, hobbies, or favorite subjects. If you attended a sorority or a fraternity, you may want to include your house chapter’s emblem on your class ring to remind you of your fellow alumni. Or if you had a nickname in school, such as the GOAT, you can place a logo of a goat on your class ring as well to indicate this.

Some people may choose to put their astrology sign on their class ring. If you were a part of an honor society or were selected as Valedictorian or Salutatorian, you will most definitely want to commemorate this. Graduating with summa cum laude, magna cum laude, and cum laude status is also something to be proud of.  

You have two sides of your class ring to work with for personalization, so take your time deciding which two logos or emblems you want to go with. 

5. Add Your School Name

School names are an important piece of information on personalized graduation rings. While you may think that this is not a pertinent part of your class ring because you don’t need to be reminded of where you went to school, there is another reason for doing this.

Putting your school’s name on your class ring is what links you to other alumni from your school. Furthermore, there is a ceremonial significance attached to it.

While you are still in school, you wear the name of your school on your class ring so that it faces toward you when you look down at it on your finger. When you finish your studies and graduate from school, you turn the ring around on your finger so that the writing faces outward to signify that you have graduated.

With the ring facing out others can read the name and better recognize the school you attended. This helps others identify a fellow alumni when they see your ring.

6. Add Your Name

Of course, your class ring would not be complete without your name on it. Your name is the hallmark of what makes personalized graduation rings truly personalized. 

Your first name will go on one side of your ring above the logo section. This leaves the top part of the ring open for placing your school’s name. 

If you don’t want to put your own name on your ring, you can put your school’s mascot name on your class ring instead. Or you can add your initials or a popular nickname you went by in school if your own name is too long or too formal to put on your class ring.

Another idea is to put a one-word phrase or mantra on the side of your ring that inspires you. You have a finite amount of space on the side of your ring, so you need to make it short and to the point.

7. Add Your Graduation Year

Putting your graduation year on your class ring helps to distinguish an important time in the history of your life. It creates a tangible and living timeline that is also a cherished keepsake. Your graduation year on your class ring symbolizes the culmination of your years of hard work and determination.

Personalized graduation rings embody an important time in your life that you’ll look back on fondly. Years later when you find your class ring in your jewelry box or side table drawer, you can reminisce about all of the good times you had in school. Whenever you see it, you will be reminded of just how far you’ve come and all you have accomplished.

It also makes for a great family heirloom that you can show to your children and even grandchildren someday so they’ll be able to share in the history of your accomplishments. Wear it to your subsequent school reunions to show your unity with your fellow graduating classmates.

8. Add Your Ring Inscription

The inscription is a short line of text that can be etched into the inside of your class ring’s band. This is open to personalizing however you want.

Some get their full name inscribed onto the band while others may choose a special message, quote, or song lyric. You may choose to do a secret coded message or use text speak abbreviations to convey your message with a small amount of space. It’s your class ring so it’s totally up to you what you choose. 

You may want to include something like a favorite Bible passage but won’t be able to fit the whole verse due to limited space. Just put the book name, chapter number, and verse number on the inside band of your class ring. For example, if you wanted to use “I can do all things in Christ who strengthens me” from Philippians 14:3, simply inscribe ‘Phil 14:3’ on the inside of the ring.

If someone else is gifting you your class ring, they may want to put a special inscription inside the ring dedicated to you.  

9. Choose Your Ring Band Style

When considering personalized graduation rings, another area where you can customize your ring’s look and feel is in the size and style of the band. You have your choice of a thinner and more decorative band for an elegant and feminine look, a medium thickness band for an in-between style, and a larger, thicker ring band for a bolder look.

Choosing a thinner style for your class ring band will mean fewer options for customization. But if you are okay with this in favor of a smaller ring then it is up to you. Thicker bands will offer more space for personalized class rings, but they will have a chunkier appearance on your finger.

A good middle-range sized band with a moderate thickness offers the best of both worlds for a ring that isn’t too large or too small on your finger. 

10. Choose Your Ring Size

Ring size is essential in ensuring your class ring is comfortable to wear. You want your ring to fit securely but also do not want it to be too tight. At the same time, a ring that is too loose can also cause problems as it may fall off or get caught on something.

You will also want to decide which finger you want to wear your class ring on as different fingers have different sizes and thicknesses. While the ring finger is the popular choice for wearing rings, some individuals may want to wear their personalized graduation rings on their thumbs, index fingers, or pinky fingers instead.

If you want to wear your class ring on your thumb, you will need a bigger ring size since the thumb is usually larger than your other fingers. A thicker ring band can also impact your class ring’s size as it offers less freedom of movement on your finger. 

Quality and Affordable Personalized Graduation Rings 

Personalized graduation rings offer a special way to celebrate and remember your accomplishments. There are so many great options to make it unique to you but you don’t have to break the bank to do it.

If you are looking to buy class rings online, look no further than ClassRings.com. We have all of the most stylish and quality graduation rings in stock at affordable prices. 

It’s fun and easy to customize your class ring on our website. And you can have your custom class ring sent to you in just 1-2 weeks.

View our full catalog of class rings today.