You've spent many years in college and worked hard all along the way. With graduation nearing, this is a perfect time to treat yourself and get your own college class ring. Class rings normally have your college and your degree. Even if you attend school through online means or you are home schooled, a jeweler has made a ring for you (or they can make one special just for you).

Along with specifying the metal and the stone and year, now you can also select a special effect for your stone. Stone options add a little more to the cost of the ring. Depending on the jeweler, here's some of the stone effects you can pick from:

-- Astralight stone effect

Astralight is a special option underneath the stone and it gives the stone the illusion of a rainbow beneath it. Astralight can be done on either smooth or faceted stones. It looks really good.

-- Sundance stone effect

The Sundance effect also can be done on either smooth or faceted stones. It is a special effect under the stone that gives the illusion of rays beneath the stone.

-- Encrusting effect

This is where an embedded yellow gold symbol or yellow gold letter is placed into the top of your stone. Encrustings look better on darker stones and are available on the smooth stones. With this effect, you would not want to combine this with either the Sundance or Astralight stone options.

-- Protected emblem effect

This is a symbol or letter design located underneath the stone. This effect works better with the lighter colored stones and is available on smooth stones. You wouldn't want to combine this with Sundance or Astralight either.

I wish you an awesome graduation. It's a wonderful time in your life and your class ring is that something extra you can always carry with you. It serves as a reminder that you "made it."

Copyright (c) 2006