The Silmarils a precursor?

[Aiwendil]

As Child of the 7th Age has pointed out, there is a fundamental difference between the nature of the Silmarils and the nature of the Rings of Power. The Silmarils are basicly good; the corruption associated with them seems to be wholly a result of the Oath of Feanor and the Prophecy of the North, not an inherent attribute of the gems.

The One Ring is, quite explicitly, not usable for any good purpose. It is quite clear that to take the Ring and actually use it against Sauron is not an option. This is not true of the Silmarils. Earendil used one to get to Valinor, with no ill consequences.

If any comparison is to be drawn, I think it would rather be between the Silmarils and the three Elven Rings. There are superficial similarities: the Silmarils were made by Feanor, the Rings by his grandson; there were three of each; the Silmarils ended up one in air, one in water, one in fire and the rings were Vilya (air), Nenya (water), and Narya (fire).

I would not say, however, that the Silmarils were a precursor of the Rings. That makes it sound as if the Rings were the important artifacts, and the Silmarils merely foreshadowed them. The Silmarils were, I think, far, far greater than the Rings of Power. It's more like the three Elven-rings are an imperfect remembrance of the Silmarils. Rather in the same way that the white trees of Numenor and Gondor are lesser images of Telperion. Yet another example of how Tolkien thought that the history of the world was a long, slow defeat in which much was lost.