Mood Rings

Invented in the 1970s, mood rings are still seen on peopleís fingers today. Though not as popular, they still carry a bit of intrigue and mystery with them. In the 1990ís, when I was a teenager, they were incredibly popular. Girls would whisper in the hallways between classes about what color their rings were turning and what it might mean. No one really took the time to figure out exactly what made the mood rings change or how they actually worked. They simply were something that looked trendy and made for some interesting conversations. A friend of mine was convinced that she was in love with her crush because every time she was in close proximity as him, her mood ring would turn a gorgeous purple. To her, that simply showed that they were meant to be together. Finally, my senior year, a chemistry teacher took the time to actually explain what made the mood rings change colors. We found out that the mood rings really couldnít tell what kind of mood we happened to be in. Instead, it was all about chemistry. It may have been the only time that the entire class paid attention to our chemistry teacher.

We found out that the stones were really hollow quartz or glass shells. Inside of the stones were little liquid crystals that react to changes in temperatures. When the crystals sensed different temperatures, they would change colors. The standard color of the mood rings was green. This reacted based on the average body temperature. When you get excited or happy, your body temperature may increase somewhat. This can cause the crystals to change to another color which indicates happiness. When you are stressed, your blood flow is more restricted, causing your body temperature to decrease somewhat. Again, the crystals will cause a color change. When youíre cold or the temperature outside is cold, once again, the crystals will react. While youíre thinking that this mood ring is simply magical and knows exactly what mood youíre in, it really is all about chemistry and temperatures. They still seem pretty accurate though. It may just be chemistry and the weather temperatures but your body only varies with its

temperatures because of the mood youíre in or how youíre reacting to certain situations. In a way, that would mean that the mood ring really is being accurate.

You can find mood rings for sale in almost any jewelry boutique. They usually donít cost too much money and they can be quite fun to own. Even if you know what makes them work, they can still make for some great conversations.

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