Few sweets have made novelty packaging as central to the product as Ring Pop, which turned a hard candy lollipop into something you could wear like jewellery decades before anyone was talking about "shareable" or "Instagrammable" snacks.
A candy built to be worn
Ring Pop launched in 1979, created by the Topps Company — better known at the time for baseball cards and Bazooka bubble gum. The idea was simple but distinctive: mould a large, hard fruit-flavoured candy into a faceted jewel shape and mount it on an adjustable plastic ring, so it could be slipped onto a finger between licks instead of held in a wrapper.
Why the format stuck
- Novelty first — the wearable ring format made it a toy and a candy at once, unusual for the era.
- Flavour range — classic fruit flavours like cherry, watermelon and blue raspberry became signature Ring Pop colours.
- Longevity — the hard candy took a while to finish, making it feel like better value than a quick-melt sweet.
An American icon that travelled
Ring Pop never needed a relaunch or a rebrand — it simply kept selling in the US and became one of the most recognisable exports in the American candy category, popular with UK shoppers who grew up seeing it in films and on import shelves. It remains a fixture of retro sweets nostalgia on both sides of the Atlantic, decades after its debut.
Frequently asked questions
Who invented Ring Pop?
Ring Pop was created by the Topps Company, the American confectionery and trading card business, and launched in 1979.
What is a Ring Pop made of?
It's a hard fruit-flavoured candy moulded into a large jewel shape and set on a plastic ring, designed to be worn on the finger while you eat it.
Is Ring Pop still sold today?
Yes, Ring Pop is still made by Topps and remains a staple of American candy shelves, including specialist American candy importers in the UK.