Bringing The Luther Wedding Ring Back to Market
The most requested product in the decade since we launched Ad Crucem is the Martin and Katharina Luther wedding ring replica.
The most requested item in the decade since we launched Ad Crucem is the Martin and Katharina Luther wedding ring replica. Lucas Cranach created this ring for Katie to receive at her wedding to Luther on June 13, 1525.
The original ring was sold by their heirs, and it was only recovered and brought back into public awareness in 1817. Sadly, Martin’s ring has never been rediscovered, but if you happen to have it, let us know! We have a hand-drawn copy of the ring, and Ad Crucem will eventually attempt to create an authentic replica. The great mystery is the little box on top of Martin’s ring - what was inside? A tiny crucifix or, perhaps, a VDMA medallion or some of Katharina’s hair?
After half a millennium, we easily forget the significance of the Luthers’ marriage. What a scandal it must have been. The ungodly 1018 prohibition against priests marrying by Pope Benedict VIII destroyed the lives of so many people and has had repercussions to this day – preventing fine men from entering the office of holy ministry because they chose to marry instead and appealing instead to villains who use the office to prey on the innocent. Priestly marriage obviously isn’t a cure-all, but it would prevent several problems in the Catholic church.
The wedding rings are a testimony to Martin and Katie's Christ-centered marriage and, by extension, to all others who choose to wear them.
I used to spend hours scouring the internet looking to buy used replicas made by the James Avery company about fifty years ago. That wasn’t a worthwhile permanent solution; the Avery rings were showing their wear, and some arrived so worn that they were unsalvageable. What was really needed was a way to produce the ring on demand.
Manufacturing Jeweler
Ad Crucem was introduced to St. Thomas last year, a manufacturing jeweler in New York City. He has previously produced prestige pieces for Tiffany & Co., which attests to the quality of his work.
Jewelers nowadays usually start with a digital file that renders the object to be made in 3D. Ad Crucem works with artists skilled in 3D design, so we asked one of them to reproduce the ring in the desired format based on dozens of photographs and drawings we had sourced. We also reached out to Becky DeGarmeaux, who runs the Katie Luther Facebook page. Becky provided photos of the giant replica of the ring from a museum in Germany. One item of the design we did not have to recreate from scratch was the Corpus since we could repurpose the one we use for Ad Crucem’s beautiful pectoral and wall crucified.
Dense With Symbolism
It's astounding that so much meaning can fit into one little ring. In February 1862, Henry Noel Humphreys described the ring for an article in the Intellectual Observer.
“The gold devices represent all the symbols of the Passion of Christ. In the center is the crucified Savior, and on one side the spear, with which His side was pierced, and the rod of reeds of the flagellation. On the other side is a leaf of hyssop. Beneath are the dice with which the soldierscast lots for the garment without seam, and below are the three nails. At the back may be distinguished the inside of the ladder and other symbols connected with the last act of the atonement. The whole so grouped as to make a large cross, surmounted by the ruby, the most salient feature of the device. On the inside of their rings were the names of the betrothed pair, and the date of the wedding day in Germany, 13 June 1525.”
June 2025 will mark 500 years since Martin and Katie Luther's wedding, and we are delighted to be making one of their rings available again for purchase. We hold the sterling silver version in inventory and order the gold versions (5k, 10k, 14k) on demand. Prices fluctuate based on the spot price of gold bullion.
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The jeweler James Avery made a beautiful replica of this ring. It is a retired design but can still be found.