'Family Ring Night' at Geneva High School

It's still there, in my jewelry box, though I haven't worn it since 1974.

It's my class ring. I looked at it earlier this week and, while admiring the mother of pearl stone, the crest, the whole look of it, went back in time.

In the '70s, a class ring was a fairly big deal. Most of my friends got one and they were a familiar sight in my high school. Who can forget the ultimate sign of high school love - a girl wearing a huge class ring, wrapped colorfully and carefully in angora, to make it fit her much smaller finger? (A boy might wear his girlfriend's ring on a chain around his neck, but my recollection is that it was a much bigger deal for the girls.)

Geneva High School students can participate in "Family Ring Night" at GHS from 5 to 7 p.m. Monday and Tuesday. They can see the various rings - the colors, the styles, the various options - and talk with sales representatives, order their own class rings and purchase a lasting reminder of their time at GHS. Herff Jones also will be at GHS during lunch periods Wednesday, and those who miss the order days can order online or visit Herff Jones at the firm's offices in DeKalb and Naperville.

With the cost of gold skyrocketing over the years, costs are wildly higher than during my own time in school, of course. Custom rings range, on one price list, from $216.95 for a women's ring made of a silver alloy, size small, to $439 for a men's size large ring of 10 karat yellow gold. That's the base price, which includes the official mascot, year of graduation, initials, choice of stone, lifetime warranty and a ring replacement program.

There are all kinds of optional features, including finishes, engraving, stone cuts, alternating side stones and various crests and symbols.

For those wincing at the price tag, the company has an economy line, with limited options and made of alternative metals. The economy collection starts at a very economical $89.95.

The choices can seem almost overwhelming, with students receiving a 26-page catalog. I do think it helps to go see the various offerings in person, because, first of all, there's help from the Herff Jones representatives, and you can see many of the rings in real life, and get a sense of what you would like.

Both of my older daughters purchased rings (with their own hard-earned cash). My oldest daughter wore hers until graduation, then put it away. Did she enjoy having it? Yes, she did. "But I look at kids who are still wearing those and I think, 'dude. You're in college now,' " she said. My middle daughter tucked hers away before graduation.

Are today's students buying rings?

Not as many as in years past, said Elizabeth Elsner, a sales representative for Herff Jones. She estimated perhaps 15 to 30 percent of students at public high schools purchase class rings, down from the heyday of probably 30 years ago. She said that in her 18 years in the business, she thinks the percentage of students purchasing rings has come down slightly, perhaps 5 percent.

"There's just a bigger demand for the dollar," she said. Students are still interested in rings, "but kids are buying laptops, kids are buying iPods, more kids drive cars, so there's insurance; they have cell phones.

"I think the dollar is being stretched way more ways than before," Elsner said. "I don't think it's because they don't want the ring as much as they want something else."

That statement hit home with one of my youngest daughter's friends. She's saving for a car, so no ring for her. Another friend hadn't really thought about it too much, but said, "probably not." Another just laughed at the thought. Even my own daughter, who initially thought she would spend some of her hard-earned cash for a ring, is backing off, preferring to spend her money elsewhere.

Elsner understands the conflict, and the lure of other things. But, she said of a class ring, "It's a great memory."

Indeed it is. It might even be wrapped in pink angora.