The Masonic Ring Guide to Points In or Out, Metals, and Sizing

A Masonic ring is the thing most Masons wear every day for the rest of their lives, and the thing most often bought for them as a gift. It is worth getting right.

Points in or points out?

The question that generates more forum argument than any other, and the honest answer is unsatisfying: there is no universal rule.

There is no Grand Lodge landmark governing it, no ancient authority, and no correct answer that applies everywhere. What exists is a set of local customs and personal interpretations, all of which their holders will defend confidently:

• Points toward yourself: a reminder to the wearer of his own obligations. The most commonly cited reading in the US.
• Points outward: the emblem presented to the world; the wearer declares himself. Also common, and the way the ring reads correctly to anyone shaking your hand.
• Points in until you are a Past Master, then out: a custom in some jurisdictions and Lodges, absent in others.

What to do: look at what the men in your own Lodge wear and ask one of them. Whatever they say is right for your room, and that is the only jurisdiction that matters. Anyone telling you there is one true answer is telling you about their Lodge, not about Freemasonry.

Which ring are you entitled to wear?

The one hard rule on this page. Wear only what you have earned.

• Square and compasses: any Master Mason.
• Past Master ring: only if you have served as Worshipful Master. The emblem varies by jurisdiction and the ring is not a “senior Mason” ring; it means one specific thing.
• 32° / double-headed eagle: only Scottish Rite members holding that degree.
• 33°: honorary and conferred by invitation. Cannot be bought, petitioned for, or earned by attendance. If a vendor is selling it to anyone with a credit card, that is what it is worth.
• York Rite / Knights Templar: only members of those bodies, and the Templar emblems only if you are a Sir Knight.
• Shrine: only Nobles.

This is not gatekeeping for its own sake. Wearing an emblem you have not received is noticed immediately by everyone who has, and it is a hard first impression to undo.

Metals

Stainless steel. The best value in the category by a distance. Effectively indestructible, does not tarnish, cheap enough to own several, holds detail well. If you work with your hands, this is the answer.

Sterling silver. Traditional, takes fine detail beautifully, and develops a patina that most Masons like. It tarnishes and it is soft: a silver ring worn daily for twenty years will show it. Polish occasionally, expect wear.

Gold (10k / 14k). The heirloom option. 14k is a better daily-wear choice than 18k, which is soft enough to deform. This is the one to buy once, properly, rather than three times cheaply.

Tungsten. Extremely scratch resistant and heavy in the hand. The catch is real and worth knowing: tungsten cannot be resized, and in an emergency it is removed by cracking it rather than cutting it. If your fingers change size, and they do, with age, weight, heat, and time of day, this is a genuine limitation.

Gold-plated over base metal. Fine for occasional wear, not for daily. The plating wears through at the contact points within a year or two of real use.

Sizing

Masonic rings are usually signet or wide-band styles, and both of those size differently from a plain wedding band.

• Go up a half size from your normal ring size for a wide band. A 6mm+ band sits differently and a snug fit becomes uncomfortable fast.
• Measure at the end of the day, in normal temperature. Fingers are smallest cold and first thing in the morning, and a ring sized then will be too tight by evening.
• Measure the finger you will actually wear it on. Most Masons wear it on the right ring finger, but this is custom rather than rule.
• Check resizability before buying: stainless and tungsten are often difficult or impossible to resize; silver and gold are straightforward.

What to look for in a listing

• Deep, crisp engraving. Shallow stamped detail wears smooth. Zoom into the listing photos.
• Stated metal and finish. “Silver tone” is not silver. “Gold plated” is not gold.
• A real width measurement, in millimeters. Masonic signets run heavy and photographs flatter them.
• Reviews mentioning long-term wear, not just delivery. A ring that looks good on arrival and pits within six months is common in this category.
• Return policy on sizing. You will get it wrong at least once.

Buying one as a gift

Two hazards, and they are both avoidable.

Timing. Do not buy a Masonic ring for a candidate who has not been raised. Wait until after the third degree. It is a milestone gift and giving it early takes the milestone away.

Sizing. Getting it wrong is the norm, not the exception. Buy from a listing with a clear exchange policy, or, better, buy a lapel pin or a cufflink set and let him choose the ring himself. He will want to.

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