We asked Monica to take us behind the scenes of some of our favorite sterling silver rings. What were the inspirations, the ah ha moments that led to the creation of these designs? Here is a round up.
The Giraffe Ring
“Giraffes are commonly called “Africas gentle giant.” This animal fascinates me. They are incredibly graceful for such a tall creature and, believe it or not, are incredibly strong. They are symbolic of seeing things for what they are, and digging below the surface for deeper meanings. They also are known to bring good luck because of their wisdom. Maybe this is because they can see for miles around them and truly know what will happen before the other animals! I am kind of obsessed with Giraffes, I paint them, draw them, sketch them. What better way to celebrate their “grace” than to design a ring wrapping around your finger so elegantly.”
The Snake Poesy Stacking Ring
“Snakes have always represented things to fear throughout so much of history, culture and even fairy tales. But at the same time, as creatures that shed their skin they represented rebirth and came to be viewed with symbolic reverence in some cultures. Not surprisingly, they have also been represented in jewelry for centuries. I thought it might be fun to turn the tables, recognize the duality of these fascinating creatures, and design a snake ring but engrave inside it “Never Fear” meaning to confront your fears and be strong. The ruby eye is there to add just a bit of mischief!”
The Compass Poesy Stacking Ring
“My favorite poem is Robert Frost’s “The Road not Taken“, it begins…
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
It always stayed with me, and of course we have many paths and adventures in life to choose from, the familiar ones and the oh so not familiar ones. In the poem the narrator takes the one “less traveled” and I love that, it speaks to me. My compass stacking ring was designed to remind me of this and therefore it is engraved with adventure; because life is an adventure and the journey we choose is up to us.”
The Fish Ring
“This ring represents perseverance….not looking back, but constantly moving forward. Why a fish? Because they only move forward, they swim upstream. That takes perseverance! The actual design was inspired by the sleek lines of the French pottery “Les Craquelines”, from the Art Deco period … a very beautiful art form that I learned about when visiting the antique market in Paris, LeMarche aux Puces.”
The Double Band Ring
“I have always loved the history of rings. Historically, rings were given to show love and support for one another, they were symbols of trust, friendship and, of course, always romance. They were also a way for people to show their heritage, their wealth and family stature. But more than anything they were pieces that bound us to one another by being worn everyday. I wanted to design this sterling silver ring with a strong element of solid 18k gold since I have always loved mixing metals, or “binding them together.” You can wear this ring with gold jewelry or with silver, making it super flexible.”
The Goddess Mermaid Ring
“I remember my first time visiting San Simeon, the Hearst Castle. It was so beautiful. I especially loved all the sea themes throughout the property. The indoor Roman pool was enchanting with the sea life on the ceiling and the galaxy down in the bottom of the pool. I thought the idea of reversing the themes was incredible. It was designed by a woman by the way! One statue that really stayed with me was the Mermaid fountain in the big outdoor pool. Mermaids are so mysterious and are always a major character in fairy tales and stories in the past. It was believed that a great goddess dove into the sea and turned into a Mermaid. The statue from San Simeon really stayed in my head and I knew I wanted to design a piece of jewelry with the mermaid theme. The tail especially is supposed to represent revitalization, luck and happiness. And what better way to inscribe the inside of the ring but with the word “Goddess”
Breathe Poesy Stacking Ring
“I love to do Pilates and gyrotonics. The most important piece of these exercises is to breathe. It actually taught me how important this simple act we take for granted really is. It centers us, and exercises ur lungs, giving us more oxygen. I am not sure if people realize that we forget to do this. I mean obviously we breath, but I mean to BREATHE…and breathe deeply… It is a good way to start the day.
Symbolically as well….we all rush around all the time. It is so important to remember to stop and smell the flowers… press pause once in a while to appreciate what we have… our surroundings….take that moment to appreciate the smaller things in life, the everyday joys and BREATHE and be in the moment!”
We love sterling silver rings. Whether we are thinking about how to wear them, or working to build silver ring designs of the highest quality, we are putting every attention to detail into each of our pieces. To see all of our styles please visit our sterling silver ring collection.
More to Explore