Narya

[Rimbaud]

Narya is the red ring - "Ring of fire" - with one red stone, a ruby. This ring was given to Gandalf/Olorin by Cirdan the Shipwright who had it from Gil-Galad who again had recived Narya and Vilya from Celebrimbor. Cirdan thought Gandalf might have better use of it in his quest than himself.

We are told the types of gems used for all Three Elven Rings:

Narya was set with a ruby.
Nenya was set with a adamant.
Vilya was set with a sapphire.

We know that Nenya was made of mithril from the description at the Grey Havens:

"On her finger was Nenya, the ring wrought of mithril, that bore a single white stone flickering like a frosty star." [RK]
What the other Elven-rings were made of is not known. Perhaps, since they were the creation of Celebrimbor alone and apart and different in nature than the other rings they were all made of mithril. But from the above description it seems as if Tolkien is singling out Nenya as distinct and different by saying "the" ring made of mithril - as if implying that the other rings were made of some other material like gold.

[ January 17, 2003: Message edited by: Rimbaud ]