Masonic jewelry is worn as a sign of membership of the brotherhood or passed down as family heirlooms. Here is a guide to this unique and interesting tradition.

The Brotherhood

The Freemasons have the longest history of any organization in the world. The first Grand Lodge was formed in 1717 in London, but there was loose organization and use of terms and symbols centuries before that. Stonemasons were the founding fathers.

Today, it is not necessary to be an actual mason to be a member as the principles of the brotherhood are self-improvement, social works and self-awareness. They were behind the creation of public schools in Europe and America.

In the late 19th century and early 20th century, they also took it upon themselves to make sure orphans, the elderly and widows were taken care of when the system provided no protection for them. There are a lot of conspiracy theories, movies and books surrounding the mystery of the Masons, but there is no real secret to this philanthropic and educated organization.

Types of jewelry

To designate membership in a Masonic lodge, there are a variety of Masonic jewelry pieces that a member can wear. The traditional piece is the signet ring, but there are other options as well. For the man who already owns a Lodge ring, other gift options are cuff links, tie pins, pocket watches and even pendants. These can all bear the same the emblems as the rings.

The Symbols

Symbols in freemasonry are important and they designate the degree of the member, the lodge and what the member wants to say about his membership. The most common symbols are the square and compass which represent the cornerstone of freemasonry.

In the center of these tools is the letter “G”, which stands for geometry, a principle of freemasonry, and for God, the original builder. Some other tools of the trade found in Masonic jewelry are the trowel, the plumb level and columns. There are many other symbols to choose from when designing different pieces.

Proper wear

Only members should wear membership jewelry, but there are cases where antique Masonic jewelry is passed down as family heirlooms. As far as how to wear the rings, there are no rules on the proper way. Some men like to wear the emblems facing them but others like to wear them facing out for others to see. Married men typically wear their rings on the right hand ring finger. Some men choose to wear their ring on the pinkie finger. So, really it is all about personal preference and comfort on how to wear the pieces.

How to clean it

In gold or silver, Masonic jewelry can be very simple or quite ornate. The more intricate the design, the dirtier it can get. Gold pieces can be soaked in warm soapy water and scrubbed with a soft brush. If there are enameled or synthetic colored parts, don’t soak the piece, but gently scrub with a soft soapy brush. Regularly polish with a soft cloth. For sterling silver pieces, only use cleaners designed for silver cleaning. These products come in wipes, cloths and creams.

There are millions of freemasons across the world and a gift of men’s Masonic jewelry is a great way to recognize his contribution to society and to honor his pride and dedication to his brotherhood.

While other types of bands and rings are made of metals such as gold, silver, or titanium that begin in solid form, a tungsten ring is initially made of powder. Tungsten, along with carbide, is forged at temperatures that are upwards of 2,400 degrees. This may seem like something that is impossible, but the resulting rings are proof of this amazing combination, and they are as scratch and dent resistant as they come.

These rings are also permanently polished. No matter how much abuse they withstand on the finger, they will continue to look the same as they did on the day they were purchased. This is something no other metal can boast, as this is a feature that is only had by rings made out of tungsten and carbide.

To get a good idea of how resistant tungsten is, consider the fact that the metal is ten times harder than 18k gold, and four times harder than titanium. They are also right under diamonds in hardness, which sit at 10 on the Mohs scale, with this material sitting at a solid 9. They are so solid in fact, that if they somehow get stuck they must be removed by a professional — though this is extremely rare and is not something that most people would have to worry about in the least.

Sizing is an issue, as it is extremely difficult to resize a tungsten ring. Many jewelers or specialty shops that sell them require that they be sized to order, as to not run into any difficulties later on. If the rings need to be resized later on, the shop or vendor will only resize them for a price, which can range anywhere from $50 to $100, depending on their policies and the ring itself. Some shops do offer warranties on their rings which allow you to get them resized for free within a certain period of time. These policies are rare, and it can be difficult to find a vendor that instills this type of warranty on their tungsten pieces.

Depending on the brand, a ring of this type can range from the double digits to the quadruple digits. It is imperative that any tungsten ring that seems to be too affordable is carefully inspected, and you should be sure to ask the jeweler whether or not the ring is 100% tungsten.

If you are looking for the best place to buy tungsten rings, look online at MensRingStore.com. Tungsten Rings, Ceramic Rings, Titanium Rings, and Stainless Steel Rings from your number one Men’s rings store. They offer the highest quality rings you can find anywhere. They have the cheapest prices on Tungsten Wedding Bands, all rings are scratch resistant. If you have any additional questions about any of the mens rings they carry, please call one of their customer service representatives. They will help you make the choice that meets your needs. They can also help answer questions about sizing, his and her bands including ceramic rings and mens rings and a variety of other subjects on fashion jewelry for discerning buyers.