LOTR Ring

The Scourge of LOTR: The One Ring Itself

If you’re a fan of LOTR, the One Ring for sale here at Medieval Ware could well be a dream come true. As you have probably guessed, it is a recreation of the LOTR Ring that appears in the books penned by J.R.R Tolkien and the Peter Jackson film adaptation.

Like the LOTR Ring that we’re familiar with, this replica is relatively simple in design. It is a metal band, which doesn’t feature any jewels or settings. In fact, the only adornment is the inscribed Elvish script that reads the familiar phrase:

“One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them.”

Interestingly, while the inscription is in Elvish script, the language is anything but Elvish. Rather, the translation is from Black Speech, or the language of Mordor. This language sounded terrible when spoken aloud.

Unlike the original LOTR ring, this replica comes in a variety of colours. First, for the purists out there, we have the gold-plated ring, which looks the most like the ring seen in the films. Otherwise, you can choose the black zinc plated ring, which is, unsurprisingly, black. Finally, the titanium plated LOTR ring is a shiny silver colour.

Each ring is made using tungsten, which is a very hard-wearing metal. Tungsten is commonly used in jewellery, as it has a similar density to gold. Tungsten is mostly non-reactive, especially when plated with another metal, which means that it is unlikely to rust or tarnish.

The nice thing about this replica is that it is perfect for any LOTR fan, whether you are a collector, you enjoy fantasy LARPing, or you just want a ring. Not only is this ring a great way to show your appreciation for the wonderful world of Middle Earth, but it’s just a really attractive ring that can be worn every day.

The Rings of Power: The Dark Plan of Sauron

If we look at the inscription on the One Ring, we may wonder what the One Ring was meant to find, rule over, and bind. Well, if you didn’t know, you’re in luck.

The One Ring was known as a Ring of Power, but it wasn’t the only one made. In all, there were twenty rings of power forged during the Second Age, back when Sauron was still able to disguise himself as a fair and benevolent being.

Sauron assumed the appearance of a person called Annatar, and approached the Elven smiths of Eregion, the most well known of which was Celebrimbor. While in disguise, Sauron taught the smiths how to forge the Rings of Power. The smiths were apparently deceived, as well as potentially driven by the desire to create these masterpieces, so worked at forging these nineteen rings.

After creating an unknown number of lesser rings, the smiths had apparently got the hang of forging the Rings of power. Sixteen of these rings were forged with the direct influence of Sauron, but the other three were crafted by Celebrimbor alone. These three proved to be the greatest and most powerful of the rings of power.

Sauron hadn’t instigated all this out of the goodness of his own heart but had always intended these Rings of Power to be a trap. Secretly, he travelled to Mount Doom, a volcano. Using the fires of Mount Doom, Sauron forged the One Ring with the aim of it being the Ruling Ring, capable of binding the other nineteen rings of power.

The other rings were linked to the One Ring, making the wearers vulnerable to falling under the sway of whoever wore the Ruling Ring. This way, Sauron planned to bring the greatest of the Elves under his power. This link also meant that their power would fade should the One Ring be destroyed (spoiler alert, it was destroyed).

Interestingly, the Rings of Power all seemed to bestow unnaturally long life on the bearer. This was unlikely an intended effect, as they were created to be worn by elves, who were immortal. However, this long life was no blessing, as the wearer would become “thin and stretched” with time, making each subsequent year more difficult.

Three Rings for the Elven Kings Under the Sky: Celebrimbor’s Rings of Power

After Sauron forged the One Ring, he put it on and attempted to bring the wearers of the other Rings of Power under his influence. However, the Elves were immediately aware of what was happening, so removed their rings and resisted Sauron.

Thus, Sauron was forced to war against the Elves and sought the Rings of Power. The Elves managed to hide the Three created by Celebrimbor, but Sauron was able to take the other sixteen rings. He gave nine of these to men, and seven to the dwarves, but we’ll get back to those.

Unlike the other sixteen rings, Celebrimbor created these Three for specific purposes which were contradictory to Sauron’s ideals. However, they were still linked to the One Ring, so whoever wore it still had the ability to see the thoughts of the wearers of the Three Elven Rings of Power.

These Three rings were powerful, but still couldn’t withstand the One Ring. Interestingly, rather than turning the wearer invisible, these rings were invisible. It was almost a shame, as they all had different beautiful designs, with jewels and intricate adornments. Each ring was named.

The greatest of the Three Rings was called Vilya, the Ring of Air. It was a gold band which contained a large sapphire. During the War of the Ring, Vilya was worn by Elrond, Lord of Rivendell. There are a few theories about what Vilya could actually do. Most people agree that it had the power to heal and preserve, but there are also theories that it could control the elements and see into the future. However, it is difficult to differentiate between the power of the Ring and Elrond’s own gifts.

Another of the Three was Narya, the Ring of Fire. This was a gold ring adorned with a huge red ruby. It was worn by Cirdan, the Elven Lord of Mithlond, but he passed it onto Gandalf in the Third Age. Its power is described as being able to inspire others and bring them hope, so they can resist the darkness.

Finally, we have Nenya, the Ring of Water. This ring was made with mithril, a precious and incredibly strong metal, and was set with a clear stone. The ring was worn by Galadriel, Lady of Lothlorien. Its powers were of preservation and protection, allowing Galadriel to protect Lothlorien and conceal it from evil, at the expense of increasing her longing for the Undying Lands. It also glowed incredibly brightly. When the magic of the Ring failed and Galadriel left Middle Earth, Lothlorien itself faded.

Seven for the Dwarf-Lords in Their Halls of Stone: The Resistance of the Dwarves

The sixteen other Rings of Power fell back into the grasp of Sauron. These didn’t have a specific purpose like the Elven Three but enhanced the power of the wearer while bestowing long life. Sauron still wished to use these Rings to dominate people, so shifted his focus from the Elves.

These sixteen rings were essentially the same in their abilities to bestow both power and to inflict Sauron’s influence on the wearers, despite having seemingly different effects. Anyway, Sauron split them into groups of Seven and Nine.

The Seven Rings, Sauron gave to seven Dwarf-Lords. They used their rings to gather wealth beyond measure, hoarding enough treasure to attract dragons. The rings caused them to become incredibly greedy, while extending their life.

This allowed these Dwarf-Lords to rise in power and wealth, but ultimately led to their downfall, often to dragon-fire. Eventually, four of these rings were destroyed by dragon-fire, and the other three were retrieved by Sauron.

Interestingly, while the Dwarves were arguably driven to maddening levels of greed, they did not fall to the Shadow as Sauron had intended. It seemed that their natural hardiness and resistance allowed them to resist Sauron’s will. For whatever reason, the Dwarves also didn’t become invisible when wearing the rings.

Nine for Mortal Men Doomed to Die: The Birth of the Nazgul

While Sauron ultimately proved unsuccessful in controlling the Elves or the Dwarves, Men proved more susceptible to his influences. Like with the Dwarves, Sauron distributed the Nine to great Lords and Warriors.

If you’re wondering why Men got more rings than the Dwarves, bear in mind that Sauron was likely aware of the Dwarven natural resistance. While he certainly hoped to bend them to his will, and probably thought he would, it was a safer bet to distribute more rings to the weaker race of Man.

As with the Dwarves, the Men who wore these Rings of Power rose to great heights, amassing power and wealth that they couldn’t achieve without them. Their lifespan was expanded, which likely seemed a boon at first. However, as Bilbo said, the Rings only stretched the mortal life.

One by one, these men became corrupted by the Rings of Power, and were bound to the will of Sauron. This binding only increased, first causing them to become invisible, then completely tying them to Sauron, making them dependent on his power and that of the One Ring.

This turned them into Wraiths, known as the Nazgul.

One for the Dark Lord on His Dark Throne: The Master Ring

The final, and most powerful ring created was the One Ring itself. This ring was capable of enhancing Sauron’s own incredible power, as well as binding the other Rings of Power to his will. When the One Ring was worn by a mortal, it enhanced their own natural abilities and made them invisible to any able to see into the non-physical world. However, wearing it attracted the attention of Sauron and his Nazgul.

When forging the Ring, Sauron poured his own soul and power into it, to ensure that it had the power he needed. Because of this, Sauron himself was dependent on the Ring. That would probably come in handy if anyone ever managed to destroy it, but that’s never going to happen (spoiler alert, yes it did). This also meant that the Ring itself had its own personality and a will that mirrored Sauron’s own.

This personality and will made the One Ring incredibly dangerous, as, when not worn by Sauron, it always sought to either corrupt its wielder or to return to Sauron, or a combination of the two. The One Ring also had a supernatural ability to tempt those around it, both due to the power it represents, and the corrupting influence it has.

When Sauron lost the ring and it fell into Isildur’s hands, it took almost no time for Isildur to be tempted enough by the ring to claim it as his own, rather than destroying it in the Fires of Mount Doom (the only way to destroy it). Honestly, the books and the films would have been much shorter if Elrond had just shoved Isildur into the lava. Think of all the trouble that would have saved.

Anyway, the One Ring later fell into the hands of Smeagol, and again corrupted him to the point of driving him to murder his best friend, eventually transforming him into the broken creature of Gollum. Here, we saw the true effects of the ‘gift’ of long life the One Ring bestows, twisting its wielder into a mockery of their true self.

Eventually, the One Ring is only destroyed when its current wielder falls into the Fires of Mount Doom accidentally. This suggests that nobody who carried it could willingly destroy the Ring.

Tech Specs

The technical Specifications for the LOTR ring for sale are as follows:

•         Material: Tungsten Metal with three options of metal plating, 18K Gold, Titanium, or Black Zinc
•         Colours: Gold (gold plated), silver (titanium plated), or black (black zinc plated)
•         Inscription: Elvish script in white
•         Size: 6, 7, 8, 9, 10