[Inziladun]

Originally Posted by Sarumian

It seems to me that Gandalf never considered Saruman's ring to be of big significance, as he did not care about it after Saruman's defeat. He would have never left Sauron with The Ring on his own in Barad Dur in similar circumstances, I am sure.

That to me is a good argument for Saruman's ring being of little or no account. Also, the Council of Elrond heard Gandalf mention it, yet it isn't brought up again.
When Gandalf confronts Saruman at Isengard later, the ring again is of no significance. Gandalf was only concerned with Saruman's staff.

Originally Posted by Sarumian

Gandalf might consider Saruman's ring as a lesser one, which was able to amplify Saruman's senses and also his control over his army or to make him invincible in Orthanc. He could also think that with the demise of The One Saruman's ring looses its power. It looks at least probable if Saruman's ring was made with the use of the same knowledge that created older rings of power. Can we guess that the failure of Saruman's ring was the reason why he decided to leave Orthanc one day?

I can't see Gandalf having any idea of Saruman's ring being in any way connected with the One. Saruman was as well-versed in ring-lore as any in Middle-earth, if not more. Why would he of all people, desiring to usurp Sauron, have fashioned a ring that potentially could have placed him under the power of the wearer of the One?

Originally Posted by Sarumian

But we can also make up a different story. What if Saruman's ring was a ring of power, much lesser than The One but not attached to Sauron's and elven stock, so the Wielders of The Three had no true knowledge about it. Lalwendë's reasoning gave me an idea that if Sauron's goal was craft, evil and weird indeed, but very personal in its core, Saruman was the Spirit of Technology. Apparently, he built this main skill and interest into his ring and thus it had not failed after Sauron's end but functioned in a pretty different way. Shall we imagine it was initially weak but was able to accumulate its strength in the way technology establishes its power over people (iPhone and iCloud, for instance ). And if we than try to think of our world as a successor of ME (Tolkien himself was inclined to think at some point), it means, Sarumans ring is still around and at work... )))

My feeling is that Saruman's ring was a failed attempt at his own Ring of Power, though made differently from the One. That could account for its apparent impotence.
Again, Saruman knew all about Sauron's intent behind the making of the One, and the vulnerability that the existence of it had created for him. Why would Saruman knowingly have made that same mistake?