High school senior ring question

[Dax]

I would wear my HS ring if it would fit....seems I am not my HS weight anymore...

I wore mine ALL the time...then when DH and I started going out, he wore my ring around his neck along with his St Christophers medal...

My ring is now sitting in my bathroom...I am currently wearing my wedding band around my neck due to sizing, I just forget about adding my school ring...

I went for a smaller ring..and its actually really pretty...I miss not wearing it..I even got the traditional "turns" on my ring...all 95 of them!

 

[Jaklackus]

Stepson opted for a full PS3 set-up instead(about $500 at that time).....he doesn't use that either because he prefers Xbox....the PS3 has become my Blu-ray player.

 

[luvthatdisney]

I bought my dd's class ring last Christmas at Wal-mart for $88. That was with her choice of stone and included the class year on one side and her choice on the other. Normally, they are $99, but they were on sale at that time. Many of her friends got theirs at that time too. Looks just like the expensive ones and it it were lost or broken we would not be out hundreds of dollars.

I have been surprised that she actually wears it most days. Money well spent

 

[TLuvsD]

Our DD REALLY wanted a class ring, so we bought it last year (sophmore). It was expensive, but pretty and I thought she would get more wear out of it that way.. This summer her aunt gave her a silver ring (very pretty), she now wears that instead. (FYI--her aunt thought she would wear it on her other hand.) Looking back on it I should have waited a year. There is an online source that sells the rings for a LOT less money, too. Company web site is http://www.dunham-mfg.com/Default.aspx



I'd give your son the choice. If he's not going to wear it, why spend the money?

 

[MSSANDRA]

I have a senior in school this year and he wants none of the typical senior things. I am forcing him to take senior pics but other than that nothing. So, guess what he say's to me. "I would rather go to WDW" Which was music to my ears but, a lot more expensive. But, we are honoring his wishes and no ring, no jacket, no party, just pictures and a trip to WDW.
Maybe he would prefer something else.

Sounds like my DS. I tried to talk him into a jacket but he said, "too much money" That money will go to college!

 

[Cynthiagayle01]

I agree with the getting the ring from walmart. I got mine (back in 98). It was much prettier than any of the ones my classmates got, I just loved it. Plus I had mine the whole year. None of them got theirs till the year was almost over. When all of theirs came in they were jealous that mine was soo much nicer.

But after senior year I hardly wore it. So if your son would rather have something else.. good for him. I wish I could have gotten a trip to WDW instead of that ring. (Of course the ring didn't cost that much..)

Congrats to your son on his graduation!

I bought my dd's class ring last Christmas at Wal-mart for $88. That was with her choice of stone and included the class year on one side and her choice on the other. Normally, they are $99, but they were on sale at that time. Many of her friends got theirs at that time too. Looks just like the expensive ones and it it were lost or broken we would not be out hundreds of dollars.

I have been surprised that she actually wears it most days. Money well spent

 

[Cheshire Figment]

If he is planning to go to college don't even think about it. In college you really don't see people wearing any high school logo anything. (Ask DS1, he'll confirm this). When he is ready to graduate college that is when he should be thinking about a ring.

 

[minnierocks]

DS purchased a ring and I don't think it has been on his finger for one whole day...DD wanted a promise ring instead so we gave her the option. My thought was that I would rather her have a really nice piece of jewelry that she could wear indefinitely vs. a class ring that she would wear for a couple of years. The silver ring that she chose was classic and cost much less than the class ring would have. Neither kid wanted school jackets either...so we didn't push the issue. They were about $400 each...
It really should be up to the teen...I really want my kids to know the value of money and not just purchase something because everyone else is or that is what you are supposed to do. I may have to remind myself of that soon...my DS, who is a senior this year, let me know that he didn't think he wanted a graduation open house.
I have been planning that for awhile...sad mommy...

 

[luvsmickeymouse]

When my daughter was in high school she wanted the ring and also wanted a varsity jacket for band. we gave her both. My son decided he didn't want a ring and also didn't want a varsity jacket for band even though he got his letter. he also wasn't that interested in getting a big picture package for his graduation photo. different strokes for different folks. just ask your son 1 more time. it may not be important to him. don't waste your money if he really doesn't want it. there may be something else that he will really want in the future that you can get for him.

My oldest son got his HS ring, and his girlfriends wore it, not him, his current girlfriend still has it. He got his college ring and wears that one alot.

My youngest son had no interest in a ring, still doesn't and he is going to graduate from college in 2011, and still shows no interest in a ring. I am hoping he gets his college ring. His Dad and I will buy it, like we did for our oldest son. Or if he chooses something else, then we will buy that.

 

[disykat]

I wouldn't try to be "even."

Neither of my boys is interested in class rings. One wants a letter jacket. We see no need to get the other one a jacket too, he simply opted not to be interested in the jacket.

Both had braces, but if one had and one hadn't it wouldn't matter to us.

We will also probably be spending more on college for one than the other - because of interests and the ability (or not) to get scholarships. The offer is to help meet their needs/wants that match their interests, not to be "even."

 

[goodfood4ursoul]

At our HS, they order rings as freshman (although the upper classmen can also order.) My son wasn't interested, until he wore one of the class rings every day for a month as a "ring model" at which point he decided he wanted a ring. As a ring model, we got a discount on the ring. (If your parents worked for the school system, you got selected as a ring model.)0 We ordered the Ultrium metal, which is the lots-cheaper-than gold" stuff, since I figured he wouldn't want to wear it after HS. He did wear it up through the summer after graduation, and it's now in a box in his dresser where it has sat for the last 5 years.

We had the same experience regarding the ultrium and ordering the ring as an underclassman.
My son's ring cost $96 (he paid for half of it himself)
and at the ring ceremony (sophomore year) his friends were
comparing rings and asked him which style/metal he had gotten
because they liked his better than their own
(and they paid around 400 )

He does wear his ring every day, he's a senior now.
He'll have it to remember his HS years, his hard work and earning his associate degree (dual enrollment program at our HS).
I doubt he'll wear it next year, but you never know.

DH still has his class ring from HS, from the Community College,
AND from University and wears them at different times.

One nice thing about some of these class rings,
you can exchange them for college rings if you choose,
as well as have them resized for free for a lifetime.

 

[Happy Mom2]

My mom told me I could get a class ring or any other piece of jewelry I wanted. I didn't get the class ring. Instead I got a ring I really loved... 20 years later I still wear it. Who can say that about their class ring? Besides, where I live most guys "give" their class rings to their girlfirends to wear. What mom want to pay $400 for a ring for a girlfriend to wear?

 

[bucket o' butter]

I never got one. I didn't really wear jewelery in high school. Well, not rings anyway. I do know that way back when we were in school, you wore your boyfriends ring and since it was way too big for you, you wrapped yarn around the bottom until it fit. Showing my age much?

I think it is find to offer him an alternate. Give him the choice. He is old enough to make it. I can tell you that Robbie has his high school ring and it sits in the console of the truck. Great place for it, right?

You are bringing back memories here! I remember going to the local dime store to by angora yarn so I could wear my boyfriend's (who is now my husband) classring. If i remember correctly, we would buy 4 yards of it and wrap it around and around! Some girls would have so much angora, it looked absolutely ridiculous. I wonder where that tradition went? Thanks for the high school memories!

Now back to the subject. DS got his classring at the end of his freshman year and he does wear it. He also gave it to a girl to wear. I was a bit hesitant, but he did get it back when they broke up. Thank goodness! DD is looking at them now. I am trying to get her to get one that doesn't so much look like a typical classring so maybe she will wear it longer. I wore mine through college, but now it sits in my jewelry box. DH has no idea where his is. I think it is an individual choice. My friend's daughter had no desire to get a ring so she didn't. Her other daughter can't wait. If you don't think your son is going to wear it, don't buy one. Good luck!

 

[tlbwriter]

First, why is MIL involved in this decision?

Second, why are you nagging DS about choosing a ring if he doesn't really want one, and you don't really want to buy him one? Doesn't really seem like you have much of a problem - you both agree that it's not something you're interested in doing.

I think it would be fine to offer him an alternative.

 

[MrsPete]

Several random thoughts:

My daughter just ordered her class ring. She wanted it very, very badly, and it will be her Christmas present. I loved my class ring and wore it all the time in high school and then sometimes in college.

A couple people said you can't wear your rings anymore 'cause they no longer fit. All the big companies offer free re-sizing. It's easy enough to find the address for Art Carved or Balfour and send your ring in.

I teach high school seniors, and I can tell you that fewer students today wear class rings than when I was in school in the 80s.

Jostens sells to our school. They offer a BASIC RING that I thought was a pretty good deal: For a girl's ring it was $69 in silver, $99 in gold. I'm thinking the guy's basic rings were under $100 as well, but since I wasn't shopping for a boy's ring I wasn't really paying attention. It's a traditional-style ring, and you get few choices: Your stone is the school color, one side is your school mascot, and the other side is something rather generic -- it was kind of a shield/education type thingy. The price is low, obviously, because it's less work for them -- they can set the machines and churn out multiple rings with the same style. For a person who wants a ring but can't afford a whole lot, this looks like a great option -- it's right there in the price range with the Walmart rings.

My daughter's ring was $230 (low-end silver, traditional style ring), a price I was willing and able to pay. We got $30 off that $230 for planning her ring online and bringing the print-out to the sales table at school. And she got a free hoodie with her graduation year for ordering on the first day of sales. The point: Read everything in that packet that they send. We would've bought the ring anyway, but those two perks were very nice.

I asked her if she wanted to go with the basic ring and have the difference in cash (the basic ring is already very similiar to what she ordered -- silver with a school colored stone), but she wanted her choices.

 

[MrsPete]

My mom told me I could get a class ring or any other piece of jewelry I wanted.

This makes sense to me. Class rings -- because they are individually made -- cost more than other jewelry. If you want a fashion ring, it makes sense to buy a fashion ring rather than a class ring that looks like it isn't a class ring.

A good birthstone ring can be had for probably 1/3 to 1/2 the price. If that's what you want, why buy from the class ring folks and squeeze the school name onto the side?

 

[MrsPete]

First, why is MIL involved in this decision?

My grandmother was in on my class ring decision because she bought it for me as a Christmas gift.

 

[louey]

My Daughter graduated HS in 2007 and attended a private school which never even offered a class ring, she didn't mind. We just ordered her college ring this past week as she graduates this year and she is really excited. JMO if your child is going to attend college and has class rings from HS and college I think that the college one would get worn more than a HS?

 

[eliza61]

First, why is MIL involved in this decision?

Second, why are you nagging DS about choosing a ring if he doesn't really want one, and you don't really want to buy him one? Doesn't really seem like you have much of a problem - you both agree that it's not something you're interested in doing.

I think it would be fine to offer him an alternative.

LOL because stupid me, mentioned that I was not getting ds#2 a ring and she thought it was a money issue, so she very nicely offered to buy it for him. Once I open my mouth in my family, it's pretty much open season on opinions.

 

[charming23]

My parents got me one at the end of sophmore year and when it came that following fall I was not even a student at that school. I ended up transfering to a private High School that offered me a scholarship only one month before classes started (they had a last minute spot open up and I was next on the list). So now I have a class ring from a school I did not even graduate from. I also have no clue where it is at the moment.

I say ask him. If he wants one he will say so.