Here's a gimmel ring. What on earth is a gimmel ring? It's a ring made of three interlocking rings, but worn as one, which I love, because it's kind of like having a secret room hidden behind a bookcase.
This one is from the victoria and albert museum, and I would put up a link to the website, but I don't know how!
It's just such a lovely testament to love: full of symbolism and meaning. The hands "mani in fede" are a popular symbol of love, the interlocked hoops suggest an everlasting bond, and that diamond heart is pretty damn obvious symbolism! The inscription is a quote from the marriage ceremony, that says "My beginning and my end. What God has joined together let no man put asunder".
I really like how meaningful this ring is, wedding rings nowadays don't have anywhere near as many layers of meaning this one does. Seriously, this is the caviar of rings, compared to your garden variety brussel-sprout diamond ring in a gold band -yeurk! I think it shows how people in olden days (1600-50 germany to be precise) invested a lot of meaning into material things. Today everything is mass produced and disposable, which really makes me sad. I don't want to consume all the time without valuing what I own.
My wedding is a looooonnnng waaaaay awaaaaay (hehehe I'm no child bride!), but in the distant future I think I would like to have this kind of wedding ring. And for now, I just want to keep the principle of surrounding myself with objects that are meaningful and beautiful, not just any old junk.
Anyway, ladies and gentlemen, give it up for the gimmel ring! *applause*
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