The pinky ring’s ancient roots
This small-but-mighty piece has roots as far back as 3,500BC with the people of Mesopotamia, who wore a seal around their necks as an authenticating mark, pressing the pendant into tablets of wet clay as a way of signing them. The Ancient Egyptians adopted a similar system, but instead attached their seal to a ring, following on from the pharaohs who wore the jewel to show their authority and status.
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By the Middle Ages, these “signet rings” had become an established symbol of power and wealth. As silversmithing evolved, so too did the elaborate creations decorating the little fingers of the elite, allowing the wearer to showcase their lineage in jewelled form.
The Japanese also wore a similar talisman – the kamon ring, sometimes called mondokoro or mon. These rings, typically of gold or silver, featured an ancestral symbol carved into the metal and were often passed down as heirlooms.
Modern jewellery for your little finger
Today, the pinky ring has gone mainstream, adopted by the likes of K-pop group Seventeen as well as Rihanna and Bella Hadid.Contemporary designers have dreamed up genderless creations for all ages and tastes. At The Vit, an emerging fine jewellery brand based in Tokyo, the dainty jewellery has been studded with rubies and creamy pearls in chunky shapes that can also be worn as ear adornment. Meanwhile, at the charming London-based label Cece Jewellery, art historian-turned-goldsmith Cece Fein-Hughes renders her passion for folklore into modern heirlooms hand-enamelled with mystical motifs.
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For an approach brimming with electric colour, look to L’Atelier Nawbar, a heritage label based in Beirut, that creates refined, elegant jewellery with a playful edge. With the brand’s Atoms collection, gem-set pinky rings come trimmed with hand-painted enamel stones in pop hues.
For something more traditional, Dior has Gem Dior, a fine jewellery line inspired by fabric samples pinned to the walls of Monsieur Dior’s ateliers that gift your pinky the utmost glamour.
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