John Neary, a young Irish immigrant, created a special piece of jewelry to celebrate the American citizenship that he obtained in 2007.  Now, he is partnering with New York jewelers Walker Metalsmiths to bring his creation to life.  With customers ranging from everyday citizens to proud military members, Neary has high hopes for an already storied design.

With immigration issues making headlines, it’s easy to forget about the immigrants that have played an important role in our country’s history and the important role that they still play.  When Neary realized his dream of becoming an American citizen, he wanted something special to commemorate the moment.  Unable to find a patriotic gift to his liking, he created one from scratch.  From a simple concept, a fledgling enterprise was born.

Neary designed a ring and pendant with six simple icons that represent the concluding sentence of the Pledge of Allegiance.

• A single star represents “one nation”
• A cross represents the phrase “under God”
• A heart for “indivisible”
• A torch for “liberty”
• Scales for “justice”
• An equal sign “for all”

He wears the first pledge ring every day, as a reminder of how fortunate he is to call America home.

Neary’s relatives in Ireland are in the jewelry trade.  His cousin, Ciaran Breen, custom crafted the first pledge ring in Dublin.  Its interesting design invites curious questions, which, when explained, usually invokes an enthusiastic response.  The positive reaction inspired him to seek out an American craftsman to help produce copies of his original creation to represent patriotic Americans and, ultimately, to creating American jobs.

Stephen Walker of Walker Metalsmiths was chosen and now produces the Pledge Ring, as well as a similarly themed pendant in silver and gold.  A military style dog tag was recently added to their collection.  As Neary and Walker work to spread the word about their jewelry, they are discovering that many Americans love The Pledge of Allegiance just as much today as when it was first recited.

With even more product designs in the works, Neary and Walker hope to take this seemingly simple concept to the next level by offering Americans a modern alternative to the patriotic jewelry that is available everywhere.  The designs are not without controversy, as media outlets continue to discuss the constitutionality of “under God“ in The Pledge of Allegiance.  Determined to celebrate the pledge as it reads today, Neary and Walker plan to maintain a religious symbol to represent “under God.” However, in the future, they expect to introduce additional jewelry designs with a symbols to represent Judaism and other religions.

Their designs, products and inspiring story can be seen at http://www.shop.pledgering.com/.  They are also inviting fans on Facebook at www.facebook.com/PledgeRing.  With their original and modern designs, it’s one way a new generation of Americans might consider taking the pledge with pride.