Lord of the Rings Engagement Rings: Barahir, Nenya and More

If the One Ring is the obvious Lord of the Rings wedding band, the engagement ring is less obvious. The story itself has an answer, though, and it is a good one. This guide covers the rings that work best for a proposal and what to check before you buy one for daily wear.

The Ring of Barahir

The Ring of Barahir is the closest thing The Lord of the Rings has to an engagement ring. It is an old Elven ring that passes down Aragorn's family, and Aragorn gives it to Arwen when they pledge their lives to each other. Tolkien describes two serpents with emerald eyes whose heads meet beneath a crown of golden flowers. It is not a Ring of Power and has no magic in the story, which for an engagement ring is arguably a point in its favour.

Badali Jewelry sells a licensed version under the name Engagement Ring of Aragorn and Arwen: a sterling silver band with green cubic zirconia eyes, and a crown of flowers in sterling silver or, as Badali puts it, book accurate solid 14K gold. It comes in quarter sizes from US 6 to 16 and is made to order. Our review of the Badali Ring of Barahir covers the details. It is a wide, heavy ring, about 15 mm at the front, so it is more of a statement piece than a slim band.

Wētā Workshop sells a very different Ring of Aragorn as a limited collector's edition, handmade in silver, gold and tourmaline. It is priced far beyond most engagement budgets.

Nenya, the ring of Galadriel

Nenya is one of the three Elven rings, worn by Galadriel and set with a white stone. With a single stone on top, it is the Middle-earth ring that looks most like a classic engagement ring.

Wētā Workshop sells a licensed sterling silver Nenya set with cubic zirconia. Badali Jewelry makes its own Nenya with leaves inspired by the trees of Lothlórien, set as standard with a 1 carat cubic zirconia and offered with other stones, including moissanite, lab grown ruby and sapphire, and opal. Badali also sells a matching tracer band that sits beside Nenya, which turns it into an engagement and wedding set.

The other Elven rings

Vilya, Elrond's ring, holds a blue stone, and Narya, Gandalf's ring, a red one. Badali makes licensed versions of both with lab grown sapphire and ruby. They are bold, wide rings and work best for someone who wants colour rather than a traditional look. Our overview of Lord of the Rings rings lists all of them.

Choosing a stone

Most licensed Middle-earth rings come with cubic zirconia as standard. It is bright and inexpensive, but it is softer than diamond and moissanite, so it scratches and loses some of its sparkle over years of daily wear. If the ring will be worn every day, an upgrade to a harder stone such as moissanite, sapphire or ruby is worth considering where the maker offers it. Coloured cabochon stones such as opal and moonstone are softer still and suit careful wearers.

Metal and sizing

Most of these rings are sterling silver as standard. Silver is comfortable and affordable but softer than gold and tarnishes over time; for a ring worn every day, ask the maker about gold options, which Badali offers for many of its designs. Engagement rings are often bought as a surprise, so the size can be a guess. Made to order rings in quarter sizes are a good fit for that, but check the maker's resize or exchange policy before ordering. Our materials guide explains the trade-offs between silver, gold and tungsten.

Pairing with a wedding band

One combination that works well is a story ring for the engagement and a plain gold ring for the wedding, often the One Ring or Jens Hansen's uninscribed Movie Ring. Our wedding bands guide covers those options, and One Ring replicas compared lists every licensed One Ring. If you are wondering whether a cheaper ring you have seen is licensed, read is this the real One Ring?