Ring magnets can be magnetized in different ways. It attracts the small neodymium magnet with just the right amount of force to counteract gravity. They all are magnetized such that the north and south poles are on the flat surfaces. Each can be used to build a simple loudspeaker. The two smaller ones are N42 grade rare earth magnets and are nickel coated. The larger is a ferrite ring magnet which is epoxy coated. The magnet floats, being repelled by the top and bottom bismuth disks. They are used to retrieve metallic objects by tieing a string around them. It has strong force.