One of the most common items of Masonic jewelry is a masonic ring displaying the square and compasses with the G in the center. The Masonic ring is a band that unites brethren around the world and proclaims the wearer's pride in being a member of the Craft.
There is no official protocol for the wearing of a Masonic ring; it may be worn on either hand and on any finger.
One tradition has it that a Brother wears his ring with the G facing him as a reminder of his first view of the square and compasses following his obligation in the first degree (as he received it). It is a tangible symbol of his duties to God, his country, and himself.
When a Brother becomes a Worshipful Master and has given the obligation to another, he wears his ring with the G facing away from him as a further reminder of his duties to direct, educate, and mento his brethren (as he gave it). This practice is not universal and, as with any other symbol, we have been taught to be cautious.
There is a story of one Brother who every morning when he put on his Masonic ring before going out to face the world would turn his ring on his finger so that the square and compasses faced his palm leaving the plain back on view to the world. This served as a reminder that he must live his Masonry every day and that he, as yet, had not distinguished himself from the cowans and eavesdroppers. When during the course of the day he performed some act of Brotherly Love, Relief, or Truth (no matter how small), he would turn his ring to proclaim to the world I AM A MASON! If, at the end of the day, these great lights of Masonry were still clutched tightly in the palm of his hand, he knew that he was not practicing his Masonry in act as well as in word.
As with any symbolic gesture, this story teaches us an important lesson. Masonry is not a dues card. Masonry is not a piece of jewelry. Masonry is a way of life. It is not a treasure to hoard, it is not a secret to keep, it is a gift to share. The more we give the more we have. Live it or lose it.
