I’m not one for making grand statements, in-fact they bother me. And yet there is one universal and unwavering truth: everyone loves jewelry. History dictates it – think The Duchess of Windsor, Liberace, and of course the notorious if not completely excessive gift-giving that defined Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor’s infamous relationship. As for custom-made jewelry, it’s an even surer thing. While my recent (and as yet only) made-to-measure experience was considerably more modest than receiving something like the Prince of Wales Brooch, it was, as expected, exhilarating. Here’s what happened:
If according to Ms. Taylor, “Big girls need big diamonds”, then I’d equally suggest, “Big boys need custom-made signet rings” (I’m all for gender-equality you see). And what’s better than the one armigerous object denoting all things heritage? By now I’m hoping it’s obvious the concept of the signet ring, engraved with a seal, crest or personal insignia has and continues to fascinate me. So when I was given the opportunity to have something – anything – made for me by Benjamin Black Goldsmiths I predictably went for my very own ring.
Benjamin is clever and intuitive in a way only custom jewelry makers can be. He completely got what I was after; namely something unique but not obvious, personal and wearable. We decided the ring should feature a flat square surface, which would later be engraved with an overlapping ‘AA’. But for the shank Ben wanted to do something completely different. The result is a hybrid between a triangle and pentagon (I think it’s actually a square, but don’t quote me). Geometry aside, the point is I love it. The fact that I haven’t removed it since I received it is testament to that love.
– Photos by Alexander Atkins. Thank you to Benjamin Black Goldsmiths of Nelson, New Zealand. To learn more and shop click here.
