Masonic Jewelry

Although it is not yet possible to say when, why or where Freemasonry originated it is known where and when “organized” Freemasonry began. On 24 June 1717 four London lodges came together at the Goose and Gridiron Ale House in St Paul’s Churchyard, formed themselves into a Grand Lodge and elected a Grand Master by the name of Anthony Slayer.     The first few years the Grand Lodge was simply an annual feast at which the Grand Master and Wardens were elected. In 1721 other meetings began to be held and the Grand Lodge began to be a regulatory body. By 1730 it had more than one hundred lodges under its control (including one in Spain and one in India), had published a Book of Constitutions, began to operate a central charity fund, and had attracted a wide spectrum of society into its lodges.

    In 1751 a rival Grand Lodge appeared, made up of Freemasons of mainly Irish extraction who had been unable to join lodges in London. Its founders claimed that the original Grand Lodge had departed from the established customs of the Craft and that they intended practicing Freemasonry ‘according to the Old Institutions’. Confusingly they called themselves the Grand Lodge of Ancients and dubbed their senior rival ‘Moderns’. The two rivals existed side by side, both at home and abroad, for 63 years, neither regarding the other as regular or each other’s members as regularly made Freemasons. Attempts at a union of the two rivals began in the late 1790s but it was not until 1809 that negotiating committees were set up. They moved slowly and it was not until His Royal Highness Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex became Grand Master of the Premier Grand Lodge and his brother, His Royal Highness Edward, Duke of Kent, became Grand Master of the Ancients Grand Lodge, both in 1813, that serious steps were taken.

    In little more than six weeks the two brothers had formulated and gained agreement to the Articles of Union between the two Grand Lodges and arranged the great ceremony by which the United Grand Lodge of England came into being on 27 December 1813.

    The formation of the premier Grand Lodge in 1717 had been followed, around 1725, by the Grand Lodge of Ireland and, in 1736, the Grand Lodge of Scotland. These three Grand Lodges, together with Antients Grand Lodge, did much to spread Freemasonry throughout the world, to the extent that all regular Grand Lodges throughout the world, whatever the immediate means of their formation, ultimately trace their origins back to one, or a combination, of the Grand Lodges within the British Isles. Examples of Masonic Rings can be found at Fox Jewelry.

Most of the Masonic Rings and other Fraternal Rings found on this website can still be ordered for pre-Christmas delivery. When placing your order, please indicate whether this is a gift that needs to be delivered before Christmas. If it is not needed before Christmas, please indicate on the special instructions to me that it is not needed prior to Christmas. Doing so will leave us time to complete rings for other customers that are wanting their items delivered before Christmas.Thank you very much and haave a Happy Holiday Season to you and your families.

Mike Fox

Fox Jewelry

The Mysteries referred to below had rites of initiationwith trials to be passed before receiving knowledge, and secrets to be concealed. The secrets of these Mysteries were kept well enough that later ages can only guess at what some of them were. It is possible that knowledge of the nature of the Mysteries was in the hands of the founders of the Masonic order and gave form to some of the present-day structure of Masonry.

The picture shown above is actually a picture of a 33rd degree Masonic Ring.

As I become more involved in the study of Freemasonry, I think that it is fascinating to delve into the history of this grand fraternity. Although some Masonic brothers may take the ritual to be historical truth, there are no true Masonic authorities who give any credence to an actual organization of Masons in ancient times. What is known is that there were fraternal organizations of the ancient world, both among the pagans and among the Hebrews. In the former case, the organizations were generally connected with the so-called mysteries, of which the Eleusinian Mysteries that were among the best known.hat were celebrated until 395 AD when the walls of the sanctuary in Eleusis were breeched b Alaric’s hordes. For millennia before that, thousands of Initiates received a mystical experience. Revealing the Mysteries was considered punishable by death.The most prominent example of the latter is the group known as the Pharisees. Many examples of Masonic Rings can be found at Fox Jewelry.

Legends contained in the rituals of Freemasonry indicate that the origins of the Masonic fraternity date back to the construction of the Temple of King Solomon, as described in the Bible. Because the size of this undertaking was so vast, a new form of organization was required to ensure that the Temple was completed in a timely and correct manner. This led to the development of an organization of stonemasons and architects into various grades and classes. Many of the characters mentioned in the books of Kings and Chronicles in the Hebrew Scriptures are encountered in the context of various degrees of Masonry; they include King Solomon himself, Hiram (King of Tyre, who supplied many of the materials, especially cedar wood, used to construct the temple), Adoniram, and others. Examples of masonic rings can be found at: Foxjewelry

Shopping as a woman for a husband, boyfriend, or just a close friend who happens to be a guy can be a difficult task.  Though guys aren’t quite as particular as women, it’s not easy to know what they want without asking them.  Here are a few gift ideas most men would enjoy receiving:

~Fraternal Jewelry; a ring featuring free masons, knights templar, or armed forces is a great gift for men who participated in these social groups.

~Tech Gadgets; LED flashlights, leathermans, pocket knives, waterproof watches, guys love having the latest technology.

~Sports Memorabilia; find out their favorite NFL, MLB, or NBA team and purchase a apparel or paraphernalia.

While traveling on business the other day, I happened by one of the most magnificent Masonic structures that I have ever seen. 

The largest Masonic temple in the world, Detroit’s Masonic temple located downtown at 500 Temple street is a monumental structure with a rich and colorful history, befitting one of the most historic organizations in the world. Encompassing more than 1,000 rooms and more than a million square feet, the temple has served Masons since 1926 and provides a venue for many leading entertainers and theater productions. Its lodges, chapels, and ballrooms are masterpieces of architecture rich with the symbolism of Freemasonry, evident even in the smallest details. The Masonic Rings worn by some of my brothers were purchased from Fox Jewelry located in Sioux City, IA.

The lambskin or white leather apron is an emblem of innocence, the distinguished badge of a mason. It is presented to the new Mason upon their first entrance into the Ancient Craft;—Freemasonry’s first gift to the neophyte. It was presented to the initiates of centuries ago in the Ancient Mysteries;;—a sign and token that the virile energy of manhood was not inconsistent with sex purity; a symbol of that control and restraint upon the animal passions and carnal lusts which prove a man free;—slave not even to his baser self. The apron means all this to freemasons, but it means more. There is something better than the cold chastity of the purist; something stronger than the placid purity of the devotee; something nobler than the icy innocence of the ascetic. This apron comes to us freemasons as the symbol of service, the badge of our masonry, sign and token that we are builders. To every freemason comes his work; or, if it does not come it is for him to go to it. To some it is given to do great things. To every freemason is it given to do his greatest thing; striving, not to be better than others, but, day by day, to be better than himself. And also, day by day, to make ihe world better for others. So is the lambskin or white leather apron presented to the Entered Apprentice, not in reward but that it may be worn as the uniform of a high and holy service, an emblem, that is symbolically adorned with that nobiest of mottoes “Ich Dien” ;— I serve. Thus worn, the apron can be soiled only by sloth, can be stained only by idleness. It is purest and whitest when worn in self-forgetting labour for others. In many instances, in addition to the white leather apron, a Masonic Ring is presented to the new Master Mason.

The Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite
The Scottish Rite is one of two largest concordant bodies of Freemasonry in which a Master Mason may proceed after he has completed the three degrees of Craft lodge masonry. The Scottish Rite work expands and elaborates on the lessons of the three Craft lodge degrees. As with Freemasonry, the Scottish Rite is not a religion, and it is nondenominational, although it does require a belief in a Supreme Being. The Scottish Rite, sometimes called the “College of Freemasonry”, uses extensive dramatic plays and allegory to emphasize the messages of its degrees. A freemason, after viewing these dramas, will eventually attain the 32nd degree in Scottish Rite masonry. To a non-mason this may sound like the member is a high ranking mason, however, this would be a misconception. The highest degree in Freemasonry is the 3rd or Master Mason degree. Degrees as they relate to the Scottish Rite indicate the level of knowledge that a Master Mason has attained. It would be rather awkward to allude to a member as an Act 32 freemason. In the Scottish Rite, the 33rd degree, an honourary degree, is bestowed on members of the Scottish Rite who have given outstanding service to Freemasonry or to their communities. In the Scottish Rite a Master Mason may become a member of three bodies — Lodge of Perfection, Rose Croix, and Consistory.Examples of Masonic Rings and Scottish Rite Rings can be found at www.foxjewelry.net