ancient
world, being in each case chosen as the material for the ring of the
special planet. These rings were frequently set with the precious stone
assigned to the planet, and thus a series was obtained of seven rings,
each of a different metal and set with a different stone. The sun-ring
was of gold with diamond or sapphire; the silver moon-ring bore a rock
crystal or a moonstone ; the ring of Mars was of iron set with an
emerald; for Mercury, the ring was of quicksilver and bore a piece of
magnetic iron; Jupiter's was of tin, the setting being a carnelian;
copper was, of course, the material of the Venus-ring {cyprium, copper,
being sacred to the Cyprian goddess), and the stone was an amethyst;
lastly, the Saturnian ring was of lead and had for setting a turquoise.
Some
of the appropriate rings and stones to be worn by those who hope to
attract to themselves the favorable influences of Sun, Moon, and
planets, are given in the Syro-Arabic work of the eighth or ninth
century on the mystic potencies of stones, put forth under the name of
Aristotle. For the Sun the stone is rock crystal, which must be set in
a gold ring; Mercury's influence is secured by wearing a piece of
magnetite in an electrum setting, and for those wishing the help of the
Moon, one of the varieties of onyx is recommended, silver being the
metal in which it is to be set.72
For
some reason or other zodiac rings, that is rings bearing zodiacal
symbols, seem to be especially favored by the modern goldsmiths of the
Portuguese island Madeira. Occasionally a ring of this type from
earlier times may be seen there; one of these, of crude workmanship
and much the worse for wear, has been attrib-
72 Julius Ruska, " Das Stienbuch des Aristoteles," Heid-elburg, 1912, p. 6.
