J. R. R. Tolkien's rich lore of Middle-earth, as shown in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, extends to even the smallest of objects. One of the most important aspects of Middle-earth is the legendary Rings of Power, crafted by Celebrimbor at the command of Sauron. These tiny pieces of jewelry commanded the might and power of some of the most powerful beings in Middle-earth throughout the Second and Third Ages. As told in the infamous prologue of The Fellowship of the Ring, nineteen Rings of Power were made in total -- nine rings for Men, seven rings for the Dwarves and three for the Elven folk. The last ring was reserved for Sauron and had the ability to bind all of the rings together under its command.
Yet both film trilogies leave out any information regarding these rings, especially the three Elven Rings. So here is everything you need to know, including their origin, power and ring wearers.
The three Elven Rings of Power were created alongside all the others at the talented hands of Celebrimbor, the last Elf in the House of Fëanor. He was a Ñoldorin prince instructed by Sauron on how to craft these extremely special rings. Sauron needed the rings on the most powerful hands throughout Middle-earth so that he could use the rings' power to ultimately control them for his own nefarious purposes. Of course, Celebrimbor didn't know this at the time because Sauron had disguised himself as Annatar. Even though it was likely Celebrimbor was hesitant to do the bidding of Annatar, he gave in and created the Rings of Power except for the One Ring, which was created by Sauron at the mouth of Mount Doom in secret.
The three Elven Rings were never once touched by the hands of Sauron -- they were created and distributed by Celebrimbor himself. They were named Narya (the Ring of Fire), Nenya (the Ring of Adamant) and Vilya (the Ring of Air).
Vilya was also known as the Ring of Sapphire, the Blue Ring or the Ring of Air, for the stone used as its centerpiece was a dark, sapphire blue. Vilya was considered the mightiest of the Elven Rings of Power and was originally given to Gil-galad, the Elven King that formed the Last Alliance of Elves and Men in an effort to thwart Sauron. Gil-galad later passed Vilya down to Elrond, who kept it until he left Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age.
Vilya's powers are ambiguous at best, but like the other two Elven Rings, they were still pure as they were never touched by Sauron and, therefore, not tainted by evil. It was theorized that Vilya had the power to heal and preserve, which seems probable given Elrond's natural inclination to heal. When a Ringwraith stabbed Frodo, he was quickly sent to Rivendell to seek Elrond's healing powers, which may have been because of Vilya all along. There was also speculation that Vilya could control certain elements. This was based on the fact that Elrond could summon a raging wave of water when the Nazgûl attempted to cross the Bruinen as they chased after Frodo. Elves didn't necessarily command powers like that, but with Vilya equipped, Elrond could literally change the flow of water.
Nenya, the second Elven Ring, was also known as the White Ring, the Ring of Adamant or the Ring of Water. It was made from the highly-valued metal Mithril, known as a lightweight material but extremely durable and incredibly strong. At the ring's centerpiece was a white stone, giving it its signature name. It was originally given to Galadriel of Lothlórien and remained in her care until she left Middle-earth at the end of the Third Age.
Nenya was not normally visible to the people of Middle-earth. When Samwise Gamgee spoke of it, he described it as a "star through her fingers," for he could not see what was causing the great source of light. Only Frodo was able to see the ring, being a ring bearer himself. Nenya, like Vilya before it, was untainted by Sauron and said to have powers of preservation and concealment. This incredible power was seen by way of Lothlórien, being created and hidden from the evils of Sauron through Galadriel's might. This meant that when Frodo destroyed the One Ring, Nenya and the other rings gradually lost their power. As such, when Galadriel left Middle-earth, Lothlórien gradually lost its vitality and faded into history.
The final of the three Elven Rings of Power was Narya, also known as the Ring of Fire. It was given to Gil-galad alongside Vilya and passed down to his lieutenant Círdan, Lord of the Havens of Mithlond. He kept it in his care until after Gil-galad's death and then eventually gave it to Gandalf upon his arrival in Middle-earth. Gandalf was one of the Istar, a wizard sent to Middle-earth to help alleviate the troubles being caused by Sauron. Knowing Gandalf's real nature, Círdan entrusted Narya to him in the hopes that he would use it to further protect the people of Middle-earth.
Narya supposedly had powers to inspire others to resist tyranny, domination and despair. Anytime Gandalf was around, people would rally to his cause, whether they initially believed in it or not. Narya could also hide the wearer from remote observation, which was an ability shared by the other two Elven Rings, allowing Gandalf, Elrond and Galadriel to remain hidden from Sauron's eye. And, like its namesake, it was said to have fire powers, which can be proven by Gandalf's heroic battle with the Balrog in the Mines of Moria, wherein he wielded the Flame of Anor, accessed by the power of Narya.
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