# Jewelry of the Comic, Television, Movie and Book Gods **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [October 5, 2026, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600 "2026-10-05T17:48:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 9:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/101 "2026-10-08T21:41:27Z")
> [@N9IWP](#): > > Underdog had a ring, but its main purpose was hold an energy pill. The idea of a ring with a drug hidden in it just reminded me of the [hypodermic ring](https://getsmart.fandom.com/wiki/Hypodermic_Ring) from _Get Smart._ ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 8, 2026, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/102 "2026-10-08T21:43:48Z")
If we are going with animal jewelry, the cat from outer space has a nice collar. [https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Zunar-J-5/9\_Doric-4-7](https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Zunar-J-5/9_Doric-4-7) ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/103 "2026-10-09T09:46:25Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > The idea of a ring with a drug hidden in it just reminded me of the [hypodermic ring](https://getsmart.fandom.com/wiki/Hypodermic_Ring) from _Get Smart._ I’m sure the idea of the assassin’s ring with poison hidden within/under the jewel is widespread, but I can’t think of many examples. Gets a passing mention in Discworld’s Nightwatch IIRC, but there must be more… ---
**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 9:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/104 "2026-10-09T09:51:47Z")
Poison rings were an actual thing. > **[Poison ring](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poison_ring)** > > A poison ring or pillbox ring is a type of ring with a container under the bezel or inside the bezel itself which could be used to hold poison or another substance; they became popular in Western Europe during the Middle Ages. The poison ring was used to slip poison into an enemy's food or drink. A powder or liquid poison was stored in these instances. In other cases, the poison ring was used to facilitate the suicide of the wearer in order to preclude capture or torture. People more com There we... ---
**Author:** ![Stanislaus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stanislaus/32/3391_2.png) [@Stanislaus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stanislaus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 10:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/105 "2026-10-09T10:20:35Z")
Interesting! Teh article points out that back in the day it was quite difficult to get a substance so lethal the few drops in a ring would be guaranteed to kill, but I guess has it has the beneftis of subtlety. And helpfully, that article lists uses in culture, from Asterix to Tosca and Il Trovatore. But better than that, it also cites [this 1877 monograph on “Finger ring lore”](https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Finger_ring_lore/JkwBAAAAQAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1) which helpfully mentions: Solomon’s ring, which had various powers according to the teller, including healing and summoning of djinns, and was also the source of his wisdom. The ring of Polycrates the tyrant, advised by a friend that as he was so successful in life, Fate must be storing up a calamity, and to avoid thsi he should sacrifice a favourite gem so that he could truly say life was not all roses. Some time after he threw his ring into the sea, a fisherman turns up with a spectacular catch fit only for the big man, in which of course was the ring - there’s a lot of variations on this tale. One - this is all in the link, it’s great - is the tale of St Kentigern and the jealous husband, which parallels the Three Musketeers plot - the ring is a token of love, the husband finds it where it shouldn’t be, throws into the river and then asks the wife to produce it. All is lost until the Saint commands the biggest fish of the day’s catch to be brought to him. > Philostratus relates how Chariclea escaped unharmed from the funeral pyre on which she was condemned to be burn by the jealous Arsace, from having secreted about her the spousal-ring of King Hydsapes ; which was set with the stone called Panderbes, engraved with certain sacred letters’ and antagonistic to fire. There’s a ton more in there, especially from medieval romances: rings that allow the wearer to speak to birds, rings that protect the wearer from harm, paired rings that obliterate and restore memory, rings that show visions of the future… thank you William Jones, FSA, your work lives on. ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/106 "2026-10-09T14:13:22Z")
> [@Stanislaus](#): > > I’m sure the idea of the assassin’s ring with poison hidden within/under the jewel is widespread, but I can’t think of many examples. > **[Poison Ring - TV Tropes](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PoisonRing)** > > Many combat-oriented characters will have some concealed weapons on them. The Gun Nut will have holdout pistols, the Blade Enthusiast will build sheaths into all his clothes, and so on. But how does a Master Poisoner keep his "supplies" on him? ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/107 "2026-10-09T14:34:01Z")
In the novel _Starship Troopers_, when off duty and out of uniform, soldiers would wear an earring shaped like a skull, with one crossbone for every mission they had participated in. In several James Bond movies, SPECTRE agents wear jewelry (usually rings) with the organization’s logo on it. In the movie _For Your Eyes Only_ members of Colombo’s gang wear pins with a dove emblem. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/108 "2026-10-09T15:03:16Z")
The Akatsuki of the Naruto series all wear [irreplaceable unique rings](https://naruto.fandom.com/wiki/Akatsuki#Rings) whose power and nature is never fully explained. The Droods of Simon Green’s Secret Histories series wear golden torcs made of exotic matter that can extend over their bodies into powerful magical armor. The shield necklaces invented by the male protagonist of Bujold’s Sharing Knife series have major plot relevance. In _Daughter of Witches_ by Patricia Wrede, one of the main antagonists wears a necklace with a dark crystal that links him to his “god”, which is actually a bound Shadow-Born (the Ancient Evils of the setting). It later leads to his possession. ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/109 "2026-10-09T15:11:05Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > the design was crossed Ps, making an 'X." This was for making impressions in the hands of good guys, indicating they were under The Phantom’s protection. Goodness. I never really looked at that before. [It’s an unfortunate choice.](https://windlass.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ring-of-good-1.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/110 "2026-10-09T15:19:29Z")
> [@Darren\_Garrison](#): > > > [@Stanislaus](#): > > > > I’m sure the idea of the assassin’s ring with poison hidden within/under the jewel is widespread, but I can’t think of many examples. > > [https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PoisonRing](https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PoisonRing) I love that example they cite in the TV Tropes image. It’s from **Asterix in Switzerland** , and I love that the villain (“Varius Flavus” in the English translation) has to go through several rings to find one that still has poison in it . (“I must remember to get refills!”) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/111 "2026-10-09T15:20:44Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > > [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > > > Saturday morning cartoon: **Shazam!** (?) My memory is failing, but didn’t the two kids have a half ring each and putting them together summoned the titular genie? > > Close: **Shazzan**. But you got the mechanic right. For a second there, I thought I was going to have to declare a timeline breach. [But no, there were two.](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shazam!_(TV_series)) ---
**Author:** ![TruCelt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/trucelt/32/523_2.png) [@TruCelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TruCelt)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/112 "2026-10-09T15:45:33Z")
Melisandre’s ruby necklace in GoT which carried the glamour that made her look young and beautiful. There was another that she put on the Lord of Bones to make him look like Mance Rader. The watch chain in The Gift of the Magi Betan earrings in the Vorkosigan Series which signal any possible combination of sexual availability and interests. I would also argue that Mile’s vintage dagger, although functional, is also worn as an item of adornment, and might qualify. Rowena Ravenclaw’s Diadem Marie Antoinette’s diamond necklace “The Queen’s Necklace”, Dumas. Daisy’s pearl necklace in The Great Gatsby ---
**Author:** ![Dung\_Beetle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dung_beetle/32/7945_2.png) [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/113 "2026-10-09T15:53:31Z")
The necklace in de Maupassant’s The Necklace. 😁 ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/114 "2026-10-09T16:00:57Z")
Maybe the OP doesn’t want to count paintings, but there’s a movie based on the painting… > **[Girl with a Pearl Earring (film)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Girl_with_a_Pearl_Earring_(film))** > > Girl with a Pearl Earring is a 2003 drama film directed by Peter Webber from a screenplay by Olivia Hetreed, based on the 1999 novel by Tracy Chevalier. Scarlett Johansson stars as Griet, a young 17th-century servant in the household of the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer (played by Colin Firth) at the time he painted Girl with a Pearl Earring (1665) in the city of Delft in Holland. Other cast members include Tom Wilkinson, Cillian Murphy, Essie Davis, and Judy Parfitt. Hetreed read the novel b... ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/115 "2026-10-09T18:03:46Z")
Is there anything at all special about the earing itself? If I open this thread to every fictional person that wears jewelry… ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/116 "2026-10-09T18:11:10Z")
If it was missing, it would just be “Girl”. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/117 "2026-10-09T18:13:08Z")
Not the point. Is there anything special the earring itself, like a name or a history etc.? ---
**Author:** ![Darren\_Garrison](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/darren_garrison/32/92_2.png) [@Darren\_Garrison](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darren_Garrison)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2026, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600/118 "2026-10-09T18:21:32Z")
They are an element that part of the movie revolves around. From the Wikipedia summary: > Later, when Catharina is out for the day, her mother hands Griet her daughter’s pearl earrings and asks Vermeer to finish the painting. > > At the final painting session, Vermeer pierces Griet’s left earlobe so she can wear one of the earrings for the portrait. Tensions heighten when she reacts in pain and Vermeer caresses her face. … She returns the earrings to Catharina’s mother. > > Catharina flies into a rage upon discovering Griet wore her earrings and storms into the studio, accusing her mother of complicity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewelry-of-the-comic-television-movie-and-book-gods/1033600.md?page=5)