Why You Need A Pinky Ring
They used to convey coded messages, but the new generation of pinky rings signifies fun and individuality, says MILENA LAZAZZERA
It may be our smallest finger, but, with the right ring, our pinkies can carry a big message, and one that can vary wildly according to the wearer – be that King Charles III, Rihanna or Oscar Wilde – or the style, whether that’s the Victorian era, the ’50s and ’60s, or present day. Indeed, throughout the ages and across cultures, pinky rings have ignited revolution on a tiny canvas, challenging societal norms and celebrating individuality.
In ancient times, pinky rings adorned with the wearer's coat of arms were employed to sign letters and documents by pressing the ring onto wax seals – hence the name ‘signet ring’, from the Latin word signum, meaning signature. Today, many aristocrats around the world still wear a signet ring to showcase their lineage and deriving power. In the Victorian age, pinky rings were worn by men and women to silently indicate that they were already married and not looking for love, while in the ’50s and ’60s, pinky rings often signified same-sex preferences, taking their cue from the famous homosexual artists who wore them, including Oscar Wilde. Meanwhile, in India, men and women continue to wear pinky rings set with a gem corresponding to their astrological profile.
All too much for such a small finger to bear? Cue the new generation of pinky rings, which is all about playfulness and pizzazz.
“I favor individuality over style rules, so I don’t have any designs that I specifically call a pinky ring, but I do have many styles that my clients love wearing on their pinky finger,” says Brazilian designer Fernando Jorge. His sinuous ‘Ignite’ rings, set with an off-center, pear-shaped citrine or emerald, are much-loved styles that bring back memories of elegant ladies in Renaissance paintings.
Meanwhile, fusing lightness and volume to create bold, architectural iterations, Indian brand Kamyen offers a fresh perspective on the possibilities of pinky rings. Its designs range from jagged, abstract eternity bands to art deco-inspired diamond settings framed in enamel, as well as more familiar heart-shaped pieces paved with diamonds and centered with a ruby, emerald or tanzanite.
“We tend to be extra-loyal to one specific piece, wearing it repeatedly as a style identifier
”Cece Fein-Hughes
“Fun stacking” is what the pinky finger represents for Ananya Malhotra, who delivers ethereal, modernist creations that play with each gem’s color and light for her eponymous label. “My [pinky rings] have no particular meaning – I just love how they look all together on my little finger,” she says.
It is a sentiment echoed by Dima Nawbar of L’Atelier Nawbar, a fourth-generation jeweler in the Beirut-based family business. Faithful to its Middle Eastern roots, the brand offers new interpretations of the classic evil-eye motif in vibrant colors and designs that evoke the cartoonish shapes of Roy Lichtenstein’s artwork. More of a minimalist? L’Atelier Nawbar also offers dainty pieces that fit the bill, including a turquoise-colored, bamboo-shaped band, and a classic oval-shaped signet ring adorned with a palm tree in malachite over rock crystal.
However, London-based designer Cece Fein-Hughes, founder of Cece Jewellery, has proved that there are still plenty of unexplored possibilities: her classic, oval-shaped signet ring blends whimsical aesthetics and folkloric traditions with a contemporary edge.
“For me, the signet ring offers up a perfect blank canvas for my enamel paintings; it gives me enough space for creative freedom, whether on the top of the flat face or details painted and engraved down each shank,” she says. Fein-Hughes faithfully wears a pinky ring featuring a shark and anchor motif, reminding her of her beloved father, a former deep-sea diver who filled her childhood with fairy tales – inspiration that has visibly seeped into her jewels. It is a piece that, understandably, she finds difficult to take off.
“We tend to be extra-loyal to one specific piece, wearing it repeatedly as a style identifier,” she says, pointing out that pinky rings, more than any other, can become an extension of your character. So, if you’re still searching for your inner self, perhaps it’s time to start with a special design for your fifth digit.