The tea ring, first knuckle ring or (my favorite) memory ring seems to be the latest in jewelry trends.
It took me a minute to warm up to the style but as I explored the history of the tea ring and created the Clyde collection I have discovered how much I love this throwback to the Renaissance. The trend looks fresh on modern hands, but it actually dates back to the 15th century.
Portraits from the Renaissance era depict the elite with rings on every finger and every knuckle. Much to my surprise and great pleasure I noticed for the first time that in one of my favorite Northern Renaissance portraits, “Giovanni Arnolfini And His Wife” by Jan Van Eyck, his wife is ONLY wearing tea rings! I love the fact that this trend is not new, just rediscovered and reborn in a new way.
This little pave triangle just felt right as the first tea ring in our collection. Often when I design I will have one idea in mind and as it goes along it feels like pieces just want to be something. I made the Clyde pendant and once it was complete it also just wanted to be the perfect tea ring; I wear mine everyday.
