Mood Ring Colors and Meanings - Learn What They Represent (2022)

What are the mood ring colors and their meanings? You should see the mood rings if you think fairytale magic and myths are fictional. These little pieces of jewelry come in different colors and can almost accurately describe a person’s emotional state. At least that’s what the producers of this piece of bewildering quartz jewelry say.

A mood ring, just like its name, is a ring that changes color to match the wearer’s emotions. This can be pretty interesting at first when you experience the color change. However, the fancy illumination is just one of its fascinating attributes.

person wearing a mood ring

Where did the mood ring come from?

The mood ring may have so many claims tied to its discovery. However, one certain thing is that these little jewelry pieces first came to the limelight in 1975. Two New York inventors Maris Ambats and Josh Reynolds discovered the first mood ring, in 1975. As the story explained by the Chicago tribune, both friends had to deal with a stressful wall street job. Hence, devising the ring to gauge their stress levels.

A different claim points to Jewelry designer Marvin Wernick, in 1975 coming up with the idea when he first saw the use of thermotropic tapes to measure a child’s temperature by his physician friend.

Whatever the story is, these fantastic pieces of jewelry sure lived to their astonishing feature; reflecting it wearer’s emotions!

When did the mood ring become popular?

The surge in thermotropic liquid crystal rings became famous in 1975 and fell right under the spotlight, with notable sources like a wall street journal citing its discovery and a massive surge in sales. This fascinating new creation had already garnered $20 million in sales in less than three months, with 40 million pieces sold already.

Since the discovery of the first mood ring, recent variant of these mood pieces of jewelry have been made in the form of necklaces, bracelets, and chokers.

Modern mood rings are made of thermochromic liquid crystals in the form of finger rings and other pieces of accessories. These rings would change color to match the wearer’s emotional state according to the temperature on the skin surface. Amidst its glory being short-lived, it sure did turn a lot of heads during its early inception.

mood ring colors and their meanings

How mood rings work

Mood rings are made in the form of a ring containing thermotropic liquid crystals on the ring’s head and protected by a glass or quartz shell. These liquid crystals change shape according to the temperature, which causes these rings to take on an entirely new color by reflection.

Scientifically, the liquid crystals work similarly like leuco dyes. When they come in contact with varying degrees of temperature, the liquid crystals change, which alters their molecular structure, influencing the wavelength of light shown or absorbed.

How mood rings can indicate mood changes

A person’s mood constantly changes, from stress to calm, anxious to relaxed, happy to sad, etc. And this change in mood is often accompanied by a change in our body temperature, influencing the blood volume on our skin. For instance, the wearer’s skin surface can change from a warmer temperature to a cooler temperature or in extreme situations where the skin surface changes from its warmest to the coolest temperature.

Another example is when a person becomes stressed or is happy, this will cause blood to be directed towards the internal organs and away from the skin. Hence causing the fingers to be cooled. In this situation, the thermochromic liquid crystals reflect a color you can find in the mood ring color chart.

For mood rings to undergo the color change, they must come in contact with the temperature on the wearer’s finger. Therefore, increased blood flow can substantially affect the color your mood jewelry changes to, which is quite an explanation for why they’re able to gauge a person’s mood.

Use the best mood ring color chart here.

Mood ring colors and meanings

The liquid crystals on a mood ring are calibrated to reflect a different color as the wavelength of light comes to the eyes. So when your skin surface temperature changes, the crystals also twist to alter the crystal structure in response to the temperature.

There are many colors you may notice your mood jewelry change to if you already own one of this gorgeous antiques and although they may seem quite fascinating rather than meaningful, there’s a lot of meaning to the colors reflected which you can find on the mood ring color chart.

mood ring colors

Black

A dark hue on the ring head shows that a person may be tensed or stressed. Furthermore, this may be a sign that your ring is damaged, or doesn’t work anymore.

White

White is a color that depicts distress. So, if a person is confused, frustrated or is feeling bored, their mood rings will reflect a white color.

Yellow

Wandering thoughts and inspiration to be creative are moods that may cause the mood ring to be yellow.

Blueish green

This color indicates that the ring wearer is feeling calm and contented. Additionally, it’s a depiction of mental alertness while being relaxed.

Pink

Feeling some sort of uncertainty? Then your mood ring will reflect a pinkish color. This judgment can be based on the initial phases of arousal or the beginning spark in interest.

Blue

The blue color on the mood ring shows that a person is relaxed and calm. In order words, your emotions are good, and you’re feeling social.

Purple

Purple means a person is purposeful amid attaining mental clarity. So if a person’s thought is precise in what they want and has no second thoughts about this newfound to-do action, then their ring will reflect a purple color.

Dark blue

Feeling loved or romantic? Then your mood ring will show that too. Asides from being happy, an extreme level of love or romance will make your mood ring twist to reflect a dark blue color.

Orange

Feeling like you should do something weird yet exciting? The mood ring is one piece of jewelry that will pick up this subtle sign of excitement and reflect it with an orange color.

Grey

Lower levels of stress, nervousness, and anxiety are feelings that will cause the mood ring to show a grey color. So if a wearer finds himself uncomfortable or stressed, they’re more likely to experience a color change to grey.

Red

Red is always a color that depicts anger. Still, seeing a red from your mood ring may not necessarily mean extreme levels of anger. The red color on the mood ring shows an elevation in heart rate; this means high energy which can be expressed as anger, extreme anxiety, or even fear.

Amber or Gold

Mixed emotions or experiencing a range of emotional imbalances can affect your ring’s crystal structure, making it reflect gold or amber. These feelings can range from a feeling of surprise rising to complexities like nervousness or extreme curiosity.

Green

The feeling of calm and comfort is hugely associated with a pleasing green on the mood ring. So, if a person has no feeling of anxiety or nervousness and is comfortable with their surroundings, the mood ring will shift structure to reflect a cool green hue.

Brown

Nervousness! That’s one feeling virtually everyone has felt in their lives. Fortunately, your mood ring can have this shown to you too. But not limited to being nervous, the brown color on the mood ring can also be a sign of extreme curiosity, anticipation, and restlessness.

Simple mood ring chart colors and meanings

  • Amber: Nervous, unhappy, cool
  • Green: Average, calm
  • Blue: Emotions are charged, active, relaxed
  • Violet: Passionate, excited, very happy
  • Black: Tense, nervous (or broken crystal)
  • Gray: Strained, anxious

FAQs

Common questions about mood ring color meanings:

How reliable is a mood ring at telling my mood?

Mood ring monitors changes in body temperature. So if you’re warm, cold, or have emotions, the mood ring crystals change colors to match your mood. However, the mood ring is not reliable for gauging a person’s mood. Although, when put through the test, the mood rings perform well despite not maintaining a 100% accuracy.

It is important to note that this limitation is due to the mood rings’ sole dependence on a single body metric, temperature!

Do mood rings change color?

Modern mood rings use different chemicals, meaning the color may differ, but the fundamental concept remains unchanged: The rings’ colors change according to feelings.

How do I stop my mood ring from changing colors?

The solution we have found here is to try and emulate fading moods. Otherwise, you can place this in the freezer for at least 2 hours. Some people seem to be working with the idea well. I think the tests should be worthwhile!

What is the most common mood ring color?

It is, therefore, common knowledge that the blue mood ring meaning is connected to meditation and peace. This is why blue mood rings are the most commonly seen mood rings, apart from greens. Modern variants are either gold or silver colored.

References:

  • "A Ring Around the Mood Market", The Washington Post, Nov. 24, 1975.
  • Muthyala, Ramaiah . Chemistry and Applications of Leuco Dyes. Springer, 1997. ISBN 978-0306454592.
  •  "Mood Ring Monitors Your State of Mind," Chicago Tribune, Oct. 8, 1975.
  • "Ring Buyers Warm Up to Quartz Jewelry That Is Said to Reflect Their Emotions", The Wall Street Journal, Oct. 14, 1975.
author: patrick algrim
About the author

Patrick Algrim is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW), NCDA Certified Career Counselor (CCC), and general career expert. Patrick has completed the NACE Coaching Certification Program (CCP). And has been published as a career expert on Forbes, Glassdoor, American Express, Reader's Digest, LiveCareer, Zety, Yahoo, Recruiter.com, SparkHire, SHRM.org, Process.st, FairyGodBoss, HRCI.org, St. Edwards University, NC State University, IBTimes.com, Thrive Global, TMCnet.com, Work It Daily, Workology, Career Guide, MyPerfectResume, College Career Life, The HR Digest, WorkWise, Career Cast, Elite Staffing, Women in HR, All About Careers, Upstart HR, The Street, Monster, The Ladders, Introvert Whisperer, and many more. Find him on LinkedIn.

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