Nenya, the Ring of Galadriel: The Story and the Replicas

Nenya is the ring Galadriel wears, one of the Three Rings that the Elves kept out of Sauron's hands. It is the White Ring, the Ring of Water and the Ring of Adamant, and in a story full of gold it is the one that looks like silver and starlight. This page covers what Tolkien wrote about it, how it appears on screen and which versions you can buy.

For the bigger picture of how Nenya fits among the twenty Rings of Power, start with how many Rings of Power are there? or go back to the Lord of the Rings rings overview.

Nenya in Tolkien's books

Celebrimbor, the greatest smith of the Elves of Eregion, made the Three Rings alone in the Second Age, after Sauron had left Eregion. Sauron taught the craft behind all the great rings but never laid a hand on these three, which is why the Elves could keep and use them. They were still bound to the One Ring, though, and that link decides their fate.

Nenya is made of mithril and set with a white stone. Its name comes from the Elvish word for water. Celebrimbor gave it to Galadriel, and she is the only person in the books who ever wears it. With it she guarded Lothlórien: the ring preserves, protects and hides from evil, and it keeps the woods unchanged by time.

The ring appears in The Fellowship of the Ring when Frodo, who carries the One Ring, can see it on Galadriel's finger. Sam, standing next to him, sees nothing but light, "a star through your fingers" as he puts it. When the One Ring is destroyed, Nenya loses its power, and Galadriel takes it over the Sea from the Grey Havens.

Nenya on screen

In Peter Jackson's films Galadriel wears the ring in the prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring, where the Three are shown with their first bearers, and she wears it again in the extended edition of The Battle of the Five Armies. Jens Hansen, the workshop that made the One Ring for the films, says it made Vilya but none of the other rings, so the Nenya prop is not theirs.

Amazon's The Rings of Power tells a different story. The Three are forged at the end of the first season, Galadriel puts Nenya on in the second, and she later hands it to Elrond before it falls into the hands of Adar. None of that is in Tolkien, where Galadriel is Nenya's only keeper.

Nenya replicas

Of the three Elven rings, Nenya is the one with the most licensed versions we have found.

Badali Jewelry makes Nenya under a licence from Middle-earth Enterprises, the holder of the book rights. The sterling silver ring starts at $139 with a 1 ct cubic zirconia and is cast to order in US sizes 4 to 15, including quarter sizes. A gold version in 10K or 14K starts at $1,399. Badali also sells a heavier men's version and a matching plain band. Its design follows the book, not the film prop.

Wētā Workshop sells a sterling silver Nenya with a cubic zirconia at $149. When we checked, only one size (US 6.75) was on offer, although the listing says the ring comes in three. Its Master Jeweller's collection adds a Ring of Galadriel in rhodium plated 10K white gold with a white topaz, a limited edition of 25 made to order at $13,999.

The Noble Collection sells a Ring of Galadriel in sterling silver with a crystal at $195, in whole US sizes 5 to 12, with a wooden presentation box.

Jens Hansen sells a ring it calls Our Ring for Cate, its own reading of the Ring of Water. It is not licensed and is not a copy of a film prop; the workshop says it is based on the book's description.

Choosing a Nenya ring

The choice is mostly about size and how often you will wear it. Badali's made-to-order sizing is the widest by far, and Badali will resize a silver ring later for a fee. Wētā and Noble sell ready-made pieces in fewer sizes, so check that yours is in stock before you set your heart on one.

If you are not sure of your size, our ring size converter turns US, UK, EU and Japanese sizes into each other, and the One Ring size guide explains how to measure a finger properly. If you are thinking of Nenya as an engagement ring, our engagement rings guide covers what to check before choosing a fantasy ring for that.

The table below lists the licensed Nenya rings we track. For the other two Elven rings, see Vilya and Narya.