you know you’re too deep in a fic when you’re googling de’s ring in tos
DeForest Kelly dearly loved his mother, Clora Kelley. Clora owned a ring that her brother had won in a card game while he was in France. When Clora died of cancer in 1957, her son was consumed with grief. But he was private about the depth of his feelings. He asked for only one item from her possessions: the ring. He wore it from then on in remembrance of her.
When Kelley was recruited for Star Trek, Gene Roddenberry was firm: the actors would not wear jewelry. But Kelley was firmer: if he wasn’t allowed to wear his ring, he wouldn’t be on the show. Roddenberry conceded. You can see Kelley’s ring throughout the series, though the stone is often turned into the palm to make it less noticeable.
I’m not crying, you’re crying.
And the most beautiful thing is Karl wears a ring in honor of this. I can’t find the gifs now but they are here on Tumblr showing the ring on AOS Bones.