What Powered The Three?

[William Cloud Hicklin]

It isn't apparent to me why Celebrimbor would have endowed the Three with different respective powers. They weren't intended for any specific user, and the "Fire", "Air", and "Water" designations may have thus been only for cosmetic reasons with respect to their stones.

In part. But then in Letter No. 301: Fireworks... appear in the books because they are part of the representation of Gandalf, bearer of the Ring of Fire, the Kindler: the most childlike aspect shown to the Hobbits being fireworks. Note the word repeated in 'The Istari': Círdan... gave to his keeping the Third Ring, Narya the Red. "For," said he, "great labours and perils lie before you, and lest your task prove too great and wearisome, take this Ring for your aid and comfort... I deem that in days ere long to come it should be in nobler hands than mine, that may wield it for the kindling of all hearts to courage." (Gandalf also uses fire magic on Caradhras (where he says its use announces "Gandalf is here"), and in the fight with the Wargs. Also, although obviously predating the invention of rings, Gandalf in The Hobbit took out several goblins with a "flash;" in the draft for the fight in the Chamber of Mazarbul Gandalf's unnamed spell vs the Balrog "singed an inch off my eyebrows."

It could also perhaps be said that the core of Galdriel's power in Lorien flows from the Silverlode or the Naith where Silverlode and Anduin come together; and her Mirror is a basin of water.

The connection of Elrond and Imladris to Vilya is obscure, but there is his name ("Starry vault"), and the fact that Rivendall above its deep gorge is bounded only by the heavens (although of course the Bruinen seems to be at least as important)