Masonic Jewelry

I have been asked the difference many times regarding 10KT and 14KT gold. All of the Masonic Rings  or other fraternal jewelry on my site: www.foxjewelry.net  can be made of either 10KT or 14KT gold.  Many of them can be made out of either yellow or white gold. I will do my best to explain the difference. First of all, pure gold is 24Kt.  As you progress down the scale from 18Kt to 14Kt to 1oKT, the amount of gold in the ring is reduced. It won’t make much difference in the weight of the ring because other alloys are mixed with the higher concentrations of gold to reduce the amount of pure gold in the final product. 18KT is going to be a bit brighter than 14KT and 14Kt gold is going to bit a bit brighter than 10KT gold.  Lower gold content will also mean that the ring might be a bit less resistant to scratches and dents because the final product contains other alloys that are harder than gold.

If you have any additional questions, please email them to me at: mfox@cableone.net.

Masonry is one of the oldest fraternities in the world.  More than likely it began in the middle ages when the stone masons formed a guild when building the castles and cathedrals thruout the world.  They were first officially recognized as a fraternity in 1717 when the first Grand Lodge of England was formed. In the United States, there is a Grand Lodge in each state. Within each state, there are several lodges located within many cities. They are known as a Lodge or Masonic lodge. Sometimes they are referred to as the Blue Lodge. After 1717 Masonry spead quickly to America. Many of our founding Fathers were Masons; George Washington to name one. A picture of his Apron and explanation of the emblems on his Apron are on this page: http://www.pagrandlodge.org/mlam/apron/ Many of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were Masons. Masons and Masonry played an important part in the Revolutionary War.

Many times I am asked the difference between an open back, solid back, or closed back ring.  I will do my best to explain this to you. In an open back ring, with the ring off of your finger, there is a void behind the head of the ring. In other words, in a ring that contains a stone in the head you will be able to see the back of the stone.  In a solid back ring, the entire back of the ring is filled with gold, at least in all of my rings. Cheaper substitutes sometimes use other materials such as lead or cork to fill in the back of the ring.  The backs of my solid back rings are filled with gold, thus making them heavier.  In my opinion, the solid back ring is more durable and much more confortable to wear. A closed back ring will appear to look the same as a solid back ring because it will appear smooth on the inside just as solid back ring.  The difference will be the weight and the durability of the ring because there is actually a void in the back of the ring which is not apparent as you look at the ring.My Choice: If the cost of a solid back ring is within your budget, go with the solid back ring. It will be much more confortable to wear and last a lot longer. The rings for my sale on my online business, www.foxjewelry.net indicate whether the ring is an open back, solid back or closed back ring.

I am continually asked by my customers, who is the best fraternal ring manufacturer in the business?  Without a doubt; in so far as quality and customer service, I would highly recommend the fraternal rings produced by Gothic. In my opinion Gothic is the best of the best. Masonic rings, Masonic Jewelry, Past Master Rings, Scottish Rite Rings, Eastern Star, Knights of Columbus; Gothic makes them all. Gothic allows Fox Jewelry to stand behind their product. There are a limited number of online businesses that are allowed to sell their products. I am proud to say that Fox Jewelry is one of them.To the best of my knowledge, Fox Jewelry is the only online business that allows you to build your own custom Masonic Ring.

Is there any significance in the different color stones (Red, Blue and Black)when used in the Blue Lodge Masonic Rings?While there may not be as many versions of the Masonic ring as there are Masonic lapel pins, there are several, most notably the square and compasses and the so-called Tubal-Cain sign. The ring can be found crafted from many materials and the Masonic symbols have been placed on stones, or artificial replicas of stones, that are red, blue and black. Some of the myths surrounding these rings are that the red setting indicates a brother under the Grand Lodge of Scotland, while the blue setting is for those lodges that evolved from the United Grand Lodges of England. The black is just accepted. I have never heard anyone try to associate it with Prince Hall Masonry or lodges that are predominately comprised of Black brethren such as Equity #106, on the Register of the Grand Lodge of Nova Scotia.

One of the finest sites that I have found on the internet dealing with the history of Freemasonry in the United States is known as the Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum.

There are many items of interest in the online museum but one of the items that I find most interesting is the Secret Masonic Ring. I found a similar Masonic Ring on Fox Jewelry’s site.  The Masonic Ring shown on this site is the Masonic Flip Ring It is similar to the one shown in the Phoenixmasonry Masonic Museum. In that particular time of history there were times when the members of Freemasonry might not want their association to the brotherhood be known to other people.

I was very close to my uncle who spent the bulk of his adult like in the Marines.  One of my most vivid memories of him was when he would let me wear his ring, which proudly displayed the Marine bulldog, and I pretended to be him.

Last year, he when he passed away, his ring was nowhere to be found as my grandmother thought I should have it.  Instead, I found some Marine rings available online and purchased one that I felt would honor my uncle’s memory.

The Freemasons are an important part of history, not only here in the United States, but also in the United Kingdom.  There is a natural camaraderie shared by those who are a part of this great organization.  Therefore, doesn’t it make sense to show your pride with some Masonic jewelry?

Not unlike a class ring, the beliefs and trials shared by Freemasons can be displayed and encapsulated in a metallic band that you can wear everyday.

The consensus is that if a Blue Lodge Ring is worn to advise those who see it that the wearer is a Master Mason, the tips of the compasses should be pointed towards the tips of the fingers. If the ring is worn to remind the wearer that he is a Master Mason, the ring should be worn with the tips of the compasses pointed towards him. The choice is yours to make!