The Three Elven Rings

[aiea]

He wouldn't have forged a ring just for vanity's sake now would he?

Vanity and Pride are the same motivations for Melkor or for Sauron to do the rings.
And in some ways, may be ,Celembrimbor too.
I believe Saruman was able to discover some secrets about Light. White is just a base. It is not fool in believe it.
It is the same motivation that pushed the Ainur to sing.
From void make Ea.
But give existence to a color without understand the Law that is the White is foolishness . To be fool is bad just when one not sees it.
Barbalbero said that Saruman mind were made of metal. But to search of what metal is done Narya is one of the most meaningful search for a man. Gandalf had to die to find properly it.
At the end Melkor was reunited with void & Eru.
The elves existence probably ( i guess) was to teach love and light and sing the gift of life, but were bond to Arda.
Men could go further, but at the end we all have to meet again the void & Eru. The difference is all in the tales we have helped to be told.