The Greatest Name
"Yá Bahá'u'l-Abhá"

". . . the symbol of the Greatest Name represents an invocation which can be translated either as
'O Glory of Glories' or 'O Glory of the All-Glorious.'
The word glory used in this connection is a translation of the Arabic term Bahá, the name of Bahá'u'lláh."

From a letter from Shoghi Effendi to the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States and Canada, April 28, 1935.

Purpose and Meaning of the
Bahá'í Ringstone Symbol

The purpose of the symbol that appears on Bahá'í ringstones and other Bahá'í identity jewelry is a visual reminder of God's purpose for man, and for Bahá'ís in particular. Bahá'í identity jewelry often is a conversation starter about the Faith and may be considered a teaching and proclamation aid.

What it means

The three levels of the design represent:

the world of God, the Creator,

the world of His Manifestations,

and the world of man.

The virtical line joins the three horizantal bars together in the same way that the Divine Messengers of God form the link between the world of God and the world of man.

The twin five-pointed stars on either side of the design represent the Báb and Bahá'u'lláh, the twin Messengers of God for this age.

The ringstone symbol was designed by `Abdu'l-Bahá 1 and rendered by Mishkín-Qalam, a close companion of His and the leading calligrapher of Persia. 2
The Ringstone symbol used on this design is a reproduction of the original design by Mishkín-Qalam.

1 `Abu'l-Qásim Faizí, Explanation of the Emblem of the Greatest Name, p. 3.
2 `Abdu'l-Bahá, Memorials of the Faithful, p. 97.

The nine-pointed star

"A simple nine-pointed star is generally used by Bahá'ís as a symbol of their Faith. The number nine has significance in the Bahá'í Revelation. Nine years after the announcement of the Báb in Shiraz, Bahá'u'lláh received the intimation of His mission in the dungeon in Teheran. Nine, as the highest single-digit number, symbolizes completeness. Since the Bahá'í Faith claims to be the fulfillment of the expectations of all prior religions, this symbol, as used for example in nine-sided Bahá'í temples, reflects that sense of fulfillment and completeness."

Excerpted from The Bahá'ís, a publication of the Bahá'í International Community.