The University of Texas at Austin Official Ring serves as a tangible
reminder of a student's achievement and memories at UT. Created
exclusively for the Texas Exes by Balfour, this well-known ring
instantly designates the wearer as a proud Texas Ex.
Designed for and by UT students, the Official Ring captures the very essence
of life on and around the Forty Acres. Each symbol that adorns this ring was
carefully chosen to capture the pride and passion of UT students. The Tower,
"Smokey the Cannon," and, of course, the Longhorn, are symbols representing the
spirit of UT culture.
While the campus will surely grow, develop, and change, the icons, the
statues, the traditions and the Official Ring will not. The Official Ring will
serve as an honorable symbol for all past and future graduates. It surpasses
time and forms a common bond between Texas Exes and the institution that played
a key role in forming their future.
In 1927, UT Seniors first bought The University of Texas rings. A technician
in the Department of Zoology, Mrs. Darrell Jackson, designed the original ring.
It was crafted in ten-karat gold and set with a garnet stone. One shank held a
Longhorn with a lariat looped through the horns, the number "27," a lone star,
and a wreath of Texas Cacti. The second shank bore the wearer's degree, the
crest, a scroll and a wreath of bluebonnets, which mimicked the wreath of Cacti
on the other side. Sometime later the rings were made available in a variety of
styles.
Following in the footsteps of Mrs. Jackson, in 2003, a group of University of
Texas students set out to revive the original ring design and create an Official
Ring that would immediately identify a Texas Ex and serve as a constant reminder
of his or her experiences as a Longhorn. The result is striking.
