Rings are the most commonly surviving medieval jewels. They were worn by both sexes, across all levels of society. Some portraits show wearers with multiple rings across all their fingers. Although rings were worn for decoration, they also had important practical functions such as signet rings or were worn as powerful amulets.

Phrases incorporating the names of the Three Kings, saints and seemingly nonsensical strings of letters were used on jewellery and are found in books of magic, suggesting that they offered a protective, amuletic power. The Three Kings or Magi represent the figures who brought gifts of myrrh, gold and frankincense to the new born Christ. A magnificent gold shrine containing relics of the Kings in Cologne Cathedral was one of the most visited pilgrimage sites of the middle ages. The names of the Magi were invoked in protective amulets and jewels. A manuscript from the 14th century (MS Arundell, 275, fol. 23) uses them as a cure for cramp: 'Take and …on Good Friday at five parish churches of the first pennies that are offered at the Cross, of each church the first penny, then take them all and go before the Cross and say five Pater Nosters in the worship of the five wounds and bear them on the fifth day and say each a day also … on the same way and then have made a ring without alloy of any other metal and write within Caspar, Balthazar, Attrapa and write without IHC Nazarenus and take it from the goldsmith on a Friday and say five Pater Nosters as you did before, and use it ever afterwards'. This combines the power of the names of the Magi along with the repeated use of the number five and the ritual use of metal from pennies consecrated in the church to make a powerful amulet.