Do you see enough value in buying high school, college or team rings? Do people really wear those?
My parents made me pay for my own high school ring if I chose to have one. Dad paid for it then I paid him back over a period of time. I promptly gave it to my then boyfriend. I dated him for 6 years before breaking up. I never got it back. I probably would not wear it now even if I had it. I’d say it wasn’t worth it for me. I have not seen people wearing class rings.
I wanted a college class ring with Tau Beta Pi (engineering honor society) letters on it, because I had grown up seeing my dad wear his. 
I wear it occasionally.
I broke mine out a couple of years ago. Wife noticed. And she slipped it away when I had it off and won’t tell me where it is. She thinks it is silly to wear.
I thought it was retro. She won.
Edit. College ring.
I bought both my high school and college ring. High school is in a box. I wear my college ring every day. My daughter also wears hers (from a different college.) I have my dad’s college ring. There’s an outside chance his great-grandchild–currently in high school–will end up there. If so, I’m going to give her his ring.
It depends, if it’s something you really want, it probably wouldn’t be a waste of money. My husband got one, but he’s never worn it and I doubt he knows where it is. I never had one and I never see anyone wearing them…
At my kid’s school the rep from Jostens made an announcement in the weekly assembly and then they sent home a catalog. Other then that it wasn’t a big deal and neither my D or S was interested.
At my niece’s school they have a class ring ceremony and they make it a big deal. Then again she went to a high school that was brand new and she was only the 3rd graduating class and the first to go through all four years, so I think they were trying to start their own traditions.
I bought my high school ring and wore it until my finger became too big for it. It is a size 4 and my bones are bigger than that now. I did not buy a college ring because I wanted real diamonds and I could not afford it.
I would probably not wear my HS ring now even if it fit because it is yellow gold and I only wear white gold and silver now–to match my hair.
I guess it just depends on the high school. Everyone wore them in my H.S., but stopped afterwards. I’m another one that let my BF wear it in his pinky and I never hit it back, it was a summer romance in another country. Wish I had it. I told my parents I lost it because my aunts bought it for me.
My kids rarely ever wear jewelry and were never interested. H and I couldn’t afford class rings. H doesn’t wear any jewelry including his wedding ring. In his job, there have been times where wearing a ring could be a serious hazard so he opted to take it off and hasn’t worn it much since.
Generally, I rarely ever see class rings worn around the crowd I hang out with and my extended family. Ymmv.
Not really a big thing here in my neck of the woods. I don’t think I have ever seen anyone wearing a class ring in the last 10 or so years.
I bought one in HS and it did come in useful when my finger was slammed in a VW van sliding door. Bent the ring, though. haven’t worn it in forty years.
Other than that, didn’t buy college and neither kid was interested. To tell you the truth, I didn’t even know they were around because you just don’t hear much about them anymore.
I think it really depends. I used to wear my mother’s high school class ring, though every once in a while some one would ask me if I’d gone there! It’s quite small with just a lamp of learning. I really love it.
I went to a different prep school and my ring has the school seal and motto, all backwards so you can use it with sealing wax. There was a ceremony when we got them, and as I recall there’s a fund so girls who couldn’t afford them could get one. I’ve worn it every day since I got it. I had no desire to get a college ring, but my nephew got one for Rice. My boys didn’t get rings for either high school or college.
High school ring - absolutely no interest from me, husband or any of our kids (full disclosure - my kids were homeschooled but they do sell a home school high school ring)
College ring - no interest from me, husband, and 3 of our kids. Youngest attends a Service Academy and almost every cadet will buy at least one ring (some buy a second ‘battle’ ring). My kid spent a long time selecting the ring and dropped a few thousand on it. He is eagerly anticipating getting it.
My Dad wore his college ring every day for over 60 years, which grandkid was to receive that at his death was a stressful decision & we are all glad he decided that himself. Unless there is a unique HS with a special reason, I would not think HS rings are worthwhile. University depends on the details and the person, not one of my kids, who all loved Grandpa’s ring, had any interest in a ring themselves.
D3 went to a HS where kids were all getting rings, I offered her the same budget at a real jewelry store, she still wears that pretty little ring she got.
Well, the catalog still sells them, so someone must be buying them. I know of no students who wear a class ring, so Maybe it’s only a thing depending on where you live. My 82 year old dad still wears his college ring though. I suspect older people like them. Not sure though.
My mom bought my D a college class ring, simple that she wore for several years post grad before Medschool. It was a plain ring, no stone so it wasn’t obvious that it was a class ring.
I wore my college ring for a lot of years. Then I had a child and stopped wearing jewelry. I had a sorority ring that I also wore every day, but handed it down to my niece and she wears it every day now. I don’t think it was a waste of money since I did get a lot of enjoyment out of it when I did wear it.
At some schools, usually private high schools, they are still a big part of the senior year.
My high school ring is in a box. Pretty much everyone got one and I remember being mad at my dad for making me get silver instead of gold, but he was firm and told me once I got my college class ring the high school one would be meaningless so wasn’t worth spending more money on. He was right.
My college ring is gold and in the group I was with, everyone got one. I still wear it all the time. I don’t care if it’s in style or not. It’s never off my finger unless I’m in a medical procedure that requires it - or cooking and it’s messy. I like it. Quite a few folks have asked about it, none in a derogatory manner.
My kids weren’t interested in either type of ring. Such seems to be the way things are now. We saw no need to try to encourage it. Different times and places.
I lost my high school ring years ago. Neither of my kids had any interest in them.
H is a graduate of a Military Academy and while he doesn’t wear his ring, many of his classmates do.