Wedding Rings: Mood-Rings Or Just Symbolic?

Mood rings are a fun and captivating piece of jewellery that changes colour as you wear it. The thermochromic crystals within the ring respond to shifts in temperature, reflecting a different wavelength (colour) of light with each change. The different colours are believed to represent the wearer's current mood. Mood rings first became popular in the 1970s, and they continue to be a trendy fashion statement and conversation starter. Today, you can find mood rings in various styles, including modern, vintage, and adjustable designs. Some people even choose to wear mood rings as wedding bands, adding a unique and playful touch to their relationship.

Mood rings: a fad from the 1970s

Mood rings are items of jewellery that contain a thermochromic element, or "mood stone", that changes colour based on the temperature of the wearer's finger. In the 1970s, they became a popular fad, with celebrities such as Barbara Streisand and Sophia Loren sporting them.

The idea for thermosensitive jewellery first came about in 1974 when American jeweller Marvin Wernick read a magazine article about the use of liquid crystal elements in medical thermometers. Wernick developed a compound that changed colour in the range of 32–38 °C and, in January 1975, he created a technique for using it in pendants and rings. He called the jewellery "magical", and his promotional materials claimed that the colour of the pendant or ring was an indicator of the warmth of the wearer's character.

Wernick did not patent his invention, and so other jewellers adopted the idea and began to produce their own thermosensitive jewellery. One such jeweller was Joshua Reynolds, who is credited by some sources as the inventor of the mood ring. Reynolds called the rings "a real biofeedback tool" that allowed a person to get additional information about their body.

Reynolds sold silver-plated mood rings for $45 (approximately $250 with inflation) and gold mood rings for $500 (approximately $1,152 with inflation). Despite the high prices, the public became enamoured by the mood ring's proposal, and Reynolds made over $20 million in sales in just one year.

However, the success of mood rings attracted many cheap imitators, and the market quickly became oversaturated. As a result, Reynolds' company suffered losses and he declared bankruptcy just two years after the mood ring's launch.

While the science behind mood rings may not have been entirely accurate, they remain a fun and novel item of jewellery that allows wearers to display their moods through colour. Mood rings have continued to be popular, with a resurgence in the 1990s and again in later years due to '90s nostalgia.

How do mood rings work?

Mood rings gained popularity in the 1970s due to their supposed ability to reflect the wearer's emotions through colour changes. The first mood ring was introduced in 1975 by New York inventors Maris Ambats and Josh Reynolds.

The stone in a mood ring is either a hollow glass shell filled with thermotropic liquid crystals or a clear glass stone sitting on top of a thin sheet of liquid crystals. These liquid crystal molecules are very sensitive and change position or twist according to changes in temperature.

The stone of a mood ring consists of a thin, sealed capsule of crystals, which change colour in response to shifts in temperature, covered by a glass or crystal gem. These thermochromic crystals within the encapsulated layer twist in response to changes in temperature, reflecting a different wavelength (colour) of light with each change.

The inside of the ring conducts heat from your finger to the liquid crystals in the "stone." The colour green, which signifies "average" on the mood ring colour scale, is calibrated to a typical wearer's body temperature, approximately 82 degrees Fahrenheit (28 degrees Celsius). If your surface temperature varies far enough from the norm, then the liquid crystals in the stone alter enough to cause a change in the colour reflected.

When you're anxious, blood is directed towards the body's core, reducing the temperature at extremities like the fingers. When you are calm, more blood flows through your fingers, making them warmer. When you're excited or have been exercising, increased circulation warms your fingers.

While the temperature of your finger—and thus the colour of the mood ring—may change in response to your emotions, fingers change temperature for any number of reasons. So, it's not uncommon for a mood ring to provide erroneous results based on factors such as the weather or your health.

What do the different colours of a mood ring mean?

Mood rings are a fun and popular piece of jewellery that first became a sensation in the 1970s. They are said to reflect a person's emotions by changing colour in response to body temperature. While the science behind this is questionable, it is true that changes in body temperature can accompany different moods.

• Amber/Gold: The wearer is feeling a range of emotions, from simple feelings of surprise to more complex emotions like nervousness or unhappiness.
• Yellow: The wearer is feeling creative and their thoughts may be wandering.
• Pink: This is a colour of uncertainty, indicating the beginning stages of arousal and interest.
• Orange: The wearer is feeling eager to try something new and exciting and may be feeling a bit daredevilish.
• Red: The person wearing the ring has an elevated heart rate and high energy, which could be due to romantic passion or fiery anger.
• Green: This colour indicates that the wearer is calm and not feeling any stress or nervousness. They are in a good place and feel comfortable with their surroundings.
• Blue-green: This colour suggests that the wearer is content and peaceful. They are alert but relaxed.
• Blue: The wearer is in a good place emotionally and is feeling happy, social, and relaxed.
• Dark Blue: The wearer is feeling a higher level of happiness, often with an interest in love and romance.
• Purple: The wearer has a sense of purpose and genuine clarity. They know what they want and are willing to go for it.
• Black: The wearer is tense, nervous, and stressed. Black can also indicate that the crystal in the ring is broken.
• Grey: The wearer is experiencing lower-level stress and feels anxious and nervous.
• Brown: The wearer is nervous and restless, with an overwhelming sense of anticipation.

It is important to note that the accuracy of mood rings is questionable, as the colour change could be due to factors such as the weather or the wearer's health. Additionally, modern mood rings use different chemicals, so their colours and meanings may vary.

Pros and cons of a mood ring as a wedding ring

Mood rings, which first became popular in the 1970s, feature a stone that changes colour in response to shifts in temperature. While the colour change cannot indicate emotions with any accuracy, it can reflect temperature changes caused by the body's physical reaction to emotions. For example, when you're anxious, blood is directed towards your body's core, reducing the temperature at extremities like your fingers.

Mood rings are available in a variety of designs, including those suitable for wedding bands. Here are some pros and cons of choosing a mood ring as a wedding ring:

Pros:

• Mood rings are unique and fun.
• They are durable, able to endure a lot of wear and tear without tarnishing, oxidising or corroding.
• They are also hypoallergenic.
• Mood rings can provide a guide to your emotions and physical state, as your mood is correlated with your body temperature.
• They are available in a range of sizes and designs, including a clever heartbeat design.

Cons:

• Mood rings are unreliable as a source of one's mood, as the temperature of your fingers can change for reasons unrelated to mood, such as the weather or your health.
• They are also affected more by your surrounding temperature than your actual body temperature.
• Old mood rings could be permanently ruined if water got under the crystal and disrupted the liquid crystals.
• Mood rings may also cause your finger to change colour.

Where to buy a mood ring

Mood rings are available at a variety of online retailers, including Amazon and Etsy. Etsy is an e-commerce website that focuses on handmade or vintage items and craft supplies, so you can find a lot of unique mood ring designs on there. Amazon also has a wide variety of mood rings, from simple designs to bulk packs.

You can also try Walmart, which has a range of mood rings at affordable prices.

Frequently asked questions