Where does it say what the 3 rings were made of.

[Mornie Alantie]

I can't find where it says that Vilya was mad of Gold, narya of Gold and Nenya of Silver. I know that they are made of each but I can't find out where it is.

[Arien]

Ok I have searched and searched with a little help from AOL and google and found this about the rings......

Saruman's study of the Rings provides us with useful information as to their appearance. Gandalf recounts the history of the One Ring during the Council of Elrond by recalling the words of Saruman:
"The Nine, the Seven, and the Three", he said, "had each their proper gem. Not so the One. It was round and unadorned, as it were one of the lesser rings; but its maker set marks upon it that the skilled, maybe, could still see and read."
[The Fellowship of the Ring]
These letters could be seen when the One Ring was heated, as in Frodo's fire where Gandalf confirms his suspicions by making the inscriptions appear as fiery letters of elven script in the Black Tongue.

We also know the types of gems used for the Three Elven Rings:
Narya was set with a ruby.
Nenya was set with a adamant.
Vilya was set with a sapphire.

We also know that Nenya was made of mithril and Vilya was made of gold from the description in Grey Havens.
"There was Gildor and many fair Elven folk; and there to Sam's wonder rode Elrond and Galadriel. Elrond wore a mantle of grey and had a star upon his forehead, and a silve harp was in his hand, and upon his finger was a ring of gold with a great blue stone, Vilya, mightiest of three. But Galadriel sat upon a white palfrey and was robed all in glimmering white, like clouds about the Moon; for she herself seemed to shine with a soft light. On her finger was Nenya, the ring wrought of mithril, that bore a single white stone flickering like a frosty air."
As for the Seven Dwarven Rings, we know that they, too were of gold from the Silmarillion where it was said "that the foundation of each of the Seven Hoards of the Dwarf-kings of old was a golden ring." However, we do not know what gems were used in the rings.

Although it is not written what the Nine were made of it would be safe to assume they too were of gold since all the other rings were.

I hope that was a little help.

[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: Arien ]

[DaughterofVana]

I wonder why the Lady's ring was made of mithril and all the others were made of gold? Is there some sort of Tolkien-decreed reason? Maybe from the Letters or HoME or the assorted history books?

If not, educated guessing is always fun.

-'Vana

[Elrowen Greenleaf]

It tells you in the end of the Silmarillion if I'm not mistaken. (I forget exactly where, but it's in the chapter "Of the Rings Of Power and The Third Age". I'm positive that there was the jewels named. (Sapphire, Adamant, and I think that Narya had a ruby but I'm not sure.) Don't quite remember if they mentioned what the Three Rings were made out of though....

Hope that helps.

-Elrowen

[ April 23, 2003: Message edited by: Elrowen Greenleaf ]

[Mornie Alantie]

Thanks for your help everyone this is all great, but the only thing is that the one we truly want to find out about is Narya.