How do we know for CERTAIN you can't use the Ring?

[Will Whitfoot]

Also, I think elves have a very different view of TIME than we do, as to how much time it takes to do this or that. If one is biologically immortal one would not feel the pressure to "get it done" and once a task is accepted, the amount of time it takes to complete would be completely immaterial. So for instance, an elven smith might devote years to adorning the door-latch of a portico of one of the many entrances in Imladris. Our eyes would be stunned by the intricate detail and delicate work, marveling that someone would spend half a lifetime devoted to such a small thing. Yet to an immortal being, it would be as nothing, a mere trifle. Just something to whet the appetite and hone the skills for a more ambitious project.

 

[Squint-eyed Southerner]

In addition, I always thought that the long time gap, and the talk about the "lesser rings" being "only essays in the craft" were in part due to the author's desire to account for the many magic rings that turn up in legend and folktale -- and to attribute them to his Elves.

 

[Valandil]

OK, I suppose I could have been more precise in my wording. Like posting "how long it takes an experienced jeweler to finish one run-of-the-mill ring in our world". Though the absence of caps should have been a giveaway, as for "Sauron's trinket" I always post "The One Ring" (well, I believe I do, at least 😬 ).

As I was asking about the unknown number of lesser ring the Elven smiths of Eregion "practiced on" (is my guess) for 300 year before starting on the Rings of Power, I was assuming (as I'll now state explicitly) that an advanced Elven apprentice would put the greatest human master jeweler / precious metal smith to shame. But would still be an apprentice by Elven standards. So let's say it takes a month for a really elaborate ring (no caps!). Then one Elven smith would have been able to create 3,600 such rings between 1200 and 1500 Second Age. Multiply by unknown, only-to-be-guessed-at number of Elven smiths in Eregion, let's just say 30 for sake of argument ... that brings the total to over 100,000 lesser rings. Where did they all end up?

There have been all-too-many Ring-wraith lookalikes in the daily news for months if not years ... hmmmmm

Surely they did more than just keep making rings all day, every day, for 300 years!

Well, I for one believe that one particular elf used the FIVE rings to escape Middle Earth and journey into our world, where he has set himself up as a spreader of joy around the winter solstice season. Yes... I believe in Santa Claus! The rest of the year he spreads the rings around to various helpers to do good deeds all over the world, but once a year all five rings are gathered onto one hand so that he can perform the true Yuletide miracles.

Gold rings, I presume? Or is it... go-o-old rings?

 

[Olorgando]

Surely they did more than just keep making rings all day, every day, for 300 years!

Celebrimbor was descended from Fëanor. I'm assuming the other Elven smiths of Eregion were also Noldor. These "folks" do come across as somewhat obsessive in JRRT's writings. Anyway, anything needing extreme concentration and focus can usually only be sustained for a short time (I'm thinking of the total opposite of the highly mythological "multi-tasking", which basically means endless distraction preventing one from getting any one thing finished 🙄 ), so they should have had plenty of time for other things, especially for relaxation ...