Class rings- still important, popular?

[MomofKatie]

My DD came home with the Jostens class ring catalog this week- her sophomore class had the presentation at school. She doesn't know whether she wants to order one. She isn't a jewelry person, and the average price for a girls ring starts around $200 (an expense we haven't really thought about). The orders are due by Tuesday, so we don't have a lot of time to think about the purchase.

Are class rings still popular for high school kids to buy/wear? DH and I both got them in the 80s, but neither of us really ever wore them. Back then, they weren't as expensive, and it seemed most of us got them. I just don't know about spending the $$ on a ring she probably won't wear...

 

[mjkacmom]

I don't know - dd17 and ds15 never mentioned getting them (ds is getting a varsity jacket for Christmas, though - more expensive than a ring, but more practical).

 

[Cobern]

I graduated in 2004 and my mom insisted in a class ring. I wore it like once or twice. I still have it, I just don't think they are as popular as they used to be

 

[aprescher]

When I graduated high school in 2003 I got one my senior year. I didn't order from Jostens but from Zales. I tried wearing it but I could only afford the cheaper metal and I was allergic. It sits in a drawer.

When I graduated college I was very strapped for cash and couldn't afford a ring. My parents bought me one as a present for my 25th birthday. It was a couple years after graduation but I wear it daily!!

I guess really it depends on her. There is no reason to decide while she is a sophomore. Wait a year or so and then see how she feels about it.

 

[clh2]

DD bought a class ring when she was a junior in high school. I think the total cost of her ring was $150-160, it was the least expensive ring she could have picked.

DD wore that every single day until she went to college. She has no regrets about spending the money.

I'm glad she didn't wait until she was a senior, "that" would have been a waste, i.e. spending $150 for a ring she would have only worn for a few months.

DD graduated from HS in 2012.

 

[Lanshark]

My son did not want one when he graduated from HS. He is now a senior in college and mentioned that he would like a ring. They are expensive and will be his graduation present from DH and me. My Dh still wears his college ring.

 

[trip]

When my DDs were in high school they chose not to get a "class ring" but chose a pretty ring that they could wear more often.

If she does get a class ring, it makes sense to get it as a sophomore. Like a high school letter jacket, most students I knew didn't wear their jacket/ring at college.

 

[clh2]

Can I add... I would never have purchased the class ring for my DD. She wanted it, she paid for it. If we would have insisted she get a class ring - I think it would have been "meh" gift, and would probably have gotten lost shortly after she received it.

 

[dyna]

Believe it or not Walfart has them much cheaper my DD is stainless steel much more durable gold and MUCH cheaper. Yet my DD's was able to get pretty much same stuff on their rings as from Joslens.

When my youngest got her class ring it was only like 49.00 but it has been a few years.

I think the Walfart ring would last for as long as your DD is interested in it.

 

[luvsJack]

Still popular here. I see some of our community college students wearing their high school rings, especially the girls.

A lot of them are designed in a way to be more delicate than the traditional class ring.

My boss still wears his college ring. He has worked for our college for 45 years, I have no idea when he graduated from college.

 

[JanaDee]

When my DDs were in high school they chose not to get a "class ring" but chose a pretty ring that they could wear more often.

If she does get a class ring, it makes sense to get it as a sophomore. Like a high school letter jacket, most students I knew didn't wear their jacket/ring at college.

In our school, it isn't an option until Jr year.

 

[DVC-Don]

I got a high school that I never wore. For both colleges I graduated from I did not get a ring. I do wear a ring sometimes that I got for graduating the Massachusetts State Police Academy as I feel that one was harder to qualify for.

 

[mamamary]

Last year when my son was a sophomore in high school he came home with a letter about the class rings. They were very expensive but he didn't want one. Honestly i never see anyone of high school age around here wearing class rings. Back in the 80s when my DH and I were in high school they were very popular.

 

[Micca]

Rings were very popular when I graduated high school, but nobody wore them when they started college. In that respect, it was a big waste of money. You can't really give them away to your kids because they look like high school class rings. A college ring is a different matter.

 

[My2Cinderellas]

My DD15 is a sophomore and brought home the form. She was looking at the feminine ones that don't really look like a traditional class ring. We agreed that if that is what she wanted she would be better off with a nice ring from the jewelry store. Better quality for the price and she has a better chance if wearing it past high school.

 

[LJSquishy]

I think they're stupid! Not to mention ugly.

I just don't see the point in a high school ring -- they certainly aren't going to flaunt it around while they're in college or when they're adults working. They are way too expensive to wear (or not wear) for a year or two. I like the idea someone posted about how they bought their kid a nice "regular" ring instead.

I briefly wanted one in high school because my friends were all getting one, but I knew I wouldn't wear it much and I wasn't about to ask my parents to buy it for me. Even as a high schooler I knew they were way overpriced. I don't miss not having one.

 

[MrsJackSparrow4Life]

I got my high school class ring my sophomore year (I graduated in 2000) and they were very big back then.

I don't know about now but my 12 year old keeps looking at mine and my mother's and says she wants to get one. My nieces keep trying to steal them as well so they are popular with the younger kids

I think getting them sophomore year is smart because it gives them more time to really wear them. I still wear mine occasionally in more casual settings but I wore it daily in high school.

 

[luvmy3]

My dd is a sophomore and her ring order is due next week too. I asked her if she picked one out and she said she didn't want to get one. That is okay by me, I never got mine when I was in HS and even if I did I doubt I would have worn it after I graduated anyway.

 

[soccerchick]

I've only seen one kid at school, a boy, with a class ring. It really stood out because I haven't noticed one in years. There are about 1800 kids at the school where I work, and I see about 250-300 daily.

I'm in Northern Virginia.

 

[Kellydelly]

I would have liked one when I was in high school but didn't have the money for one. I think it is a neat thing, but wouldn't break the bank buying one. Wal-Mart has a decent selection for less money than Jostens.