A solid ten carat yellow gold United States Army Air Force Academy graduation ring with a oval cut cubic zirconia. This is a very striking and very rare academy ring, back when they were made in solid gold.  This particular ring is an important piece of history for a number of reasons; it was earned during the infancy of the United States Air Force. It is particularly marked for a navigator. 

During WWII, USAAF navigators lacked digital technology but relied on complex skills, advanced training, and specialised equipment to complete missions accurately under high pressure. Their methods blended dead reckoning, celestial navigation, and radio navigation, each with strengths and limitations. Navigators trained rigorously to master these techniques, adapting to ever-changing combat conditions.

Dead reckoning was the most basic approach, estimating position by calculating time, speed, and direction. Crosswinds could throw off this method, so navigators checked landmarks when possible. Celestial navigation was more precise, using a sextant to measure angles between celestial bodies and the horizon. However, this complex process required clear skies and complex calculations. Radio navigation, using ground-based signals, provided another layer of support, but had range and interference issues.

Becoming a navigator demanded intensive training in maths, geography, meteorology, and mechanics. Celestial navigation, in particular, required deft sextant handling and rapid calculations. Training missions simulated combat conditions to prepare navigators for intense, high-pressure scenarios. Specialised equipment like sextants, drift meters, and radio direction finders were essential tools.

Only after WWII did new technologies like Inertial Navigation Systems and GPS streamline aerial navigation, eliminating the need for manual calculation that WWII navigators had to master.

The other fascinating part to this ring is the additional A! The United States Air Force (USAF) is the current independent air service branch of the United States Department of Defense, having been established in 1947 after previously operating as the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) from 1941 to 1947 as a component of the U.S. Army. This makes the ring a piece of only seven year US military history!

This is a classic college ring design that became in during the 1940's and onwards.  This in itself is a stunning period ring. It is not thinly constructed, with a beautifully made shank that has a large cubic set into its center. This is likely a later replacement, and not original to the stone. On one side of the ring is the American Bald Eagle with wings spread with "Air Forces" on a banner below its chest. Below this is the early insignia of the the iconic "Hap Arnold emblem" of the Army Air Forces that was conceived by James T. Rawls, an artist on General Henry H. Arnold's staff, and officially approved on February 23, 1942. On the reverse side is the same eagle and banner, this time above the original insignia of the "Prop and Wings" insignia is traditionally awarded to Academy cadets at the end of their grueling fourth-class (freshman) year, signifying that they have been "recognized" as upper class cadets.

The condition is excellent, and shows no damage or real signs of wear. There are no initials scribed into the inside of the shank meaning we cannot trace the original owner of the ring. There is a crisp "14K" mark having been made in America by Jostens. Jostens' storied legacy in class rings stretches back to 1897, when a skilled jewelry repairman named Otto Josten first began crafting these cherished symbols in Owatonna, Minnesota. It is a US size 11 ring size. It is a heavy ring weighing nearly seventeen grams. It cannot easily be sized due to the hand hammered back of the ring. It could be made smaller, but not larger very easily.