- Napkin rings first came into use when European nobility set their tables with an elaborate silver vessel, often shaped like a ship, that held the personal table linen, salt, wine, and even poison-testing chemicals of their owners. They were carried with other personal items when wealthy people traveled in the Middle Ages. They shrunk in size and grew in popularity during the Victorian period, when most members of the upper class had their own rings. They no longer held salt or wine but were elaborately embellished with birds, flowers and decorative borders. Some families would use outdated family silver coins to melt down and fashion napkin rings. They came into more widespread use when other, cheaper materials began to be used, including leather, ceramics, wool reinforced with wire and wood.
- Before the popularity and availability of disposable napkins, people used linen and cotton to wipe their mouths after a meal and wipe their hands after using a finger bowl. Napkin rings often had initials or some identifying mark to let each member of the family know whose napkin was whose. They were washed only when the other linens were washed.
- Many people use napkin rings to set a pleasing table when they are using cloth napkins. Craft magazines have instructions for making holiday and seasonal napkin rings out of discarded paper towel holders, twine, beads, ribbon and decorative wire. As people look for ways to reduce waste, inexpensive cloth napkins may become more popular, even for family meals. Often, the napkin ring is personalized so that it also serves the function of a place card.
- Napkin rings are collectible since they are usually less expensive than other antique silver items. They are often found for sale on eBay, ranging in price from $10 or so to hundreds of dollars, depending on the quality of the silver and workmanship. They're not hard to find in antique shops and junk stores. A traditional baby gift is to find a small antique napkin ring with the name of the baby engraved on it. This is not always possible, of course, and a new napkin ring, engraved to order, is another unusual and pretty present for a new baby.
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Napkins can be placed in the napkin ring on the plate, above the plate or to the left-hand side of the plate. Once the napkin is removed, the ring is usually placed right above the dinner plate by the diner. If the service is formal, a waiter removes the napkin.
There are many whimsical ways to fold a napkin, and some of them are compatible with the use of a napkin ring.
It's fine for family members to reuse their own napkins, but sharing the same cloth napkin can spread germs. Treat cloth napkins the same way you'd treat a cloth handkerchief.
