How Mood Rings Work

Designs and Ordering of Mood Ring and Mood Pendants

Mood rings have been around for over thirty years and people are often intrigued as to how they work. Part of the ring or pendant changes colour according to the wearer's skin temperature. Because people's emotional state is often accompanied by temperature changes this gives an indication of mood.

Science of Mood Rings

The colour changing mood ring is made from thermochronic liquid crystal. Liquid crystals are substances that have properties that are in between those of a liquid and crystal. They may be able to flow like a liquid but their molecules show a structure as a lattice or being aligned in a certain direction. They were used for developing liquid crystal displays (LCDs) as some liquid crystals could be changed by an electrical charge. Thermochronic liquid crystals have colour changing properties dependent on heat. As temperatures vary the liquid crystal moves or twists. This allows it to absorb different wavelengths of light and so show different colours. The metal ring or pendant allows the easy transfer of temperature between the skin and the liquid crystal.

History of Mood Rings

Strips of plastic containing thermochronic liquid crystal were developed to easily read temperatures of children. A jewellery designer called Marvin Wernick saw a doctor friend using one of these and saw the possibilities of using this material in jewellery. Wernick placed pieces of liquid crystal in glass domes and mounted them on rings. Unfortunately for him he did not patent his idea and many people have copied it. Joshua Reynolds (related to the cigarette manufacturer) took this idea on and is reported to have sold a million dollars worth in three months.

Uses of Mood Rings

The temperature measuring uses of these liquid crystals have seen products developed for medical use (like the plastic 'thermometer' that first gave the idea of making mood rings), visual indicators of the temperature of refrigerators and tropical fish tanks. For most people mood rings are a fun jewellery item but other people have seen possibilities for more serious uses.

Biofeedback and Mood Rings

Reynolds marketed them as biofeedback devices. There is some anecdotal evidence that they can be used to help control panic attacks. Meditation techniques can be used to consciously calm a person's mood. These can be practised and the change of temperature indicated by the colour on the mood ring reinforces this. This is an example of biofeedback. When a panic attack is felt to be coming on, the meditation can be used to try to prevent it or to reduce its effects.

Designs and Ordering of Mood Ring and Mood Pendants

This is one of a series of articles

 

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Page last updated January 10, 2008
Copyright: Martin Dowling 2002-2007

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