If rings could talk, some of them will have amazing stories to tell and the 6 bejewelled rings designed by Simone Ng and Jason Pomeroy are the talk of town. The rings are from capsule collection, Jewels of Architecture, a modern reinterpretation of Britain’s iconic architecture, tracking the British architecture evolution.
To Simone, emphasise was placed on the designs, investment value and most importantly the story that each piece tells. The biggest challenge of this collaboration was the designing of the shank. As though, it was supposed to reflect the external structure of the building, the ring must look aesthetic pleasing and flattering to the wearer.
All parts of the ring are essential in narrating the story. The romantic ruins (of the Berry Pomeroy Castle) were once surrounded by lush greeneries including apple trees. Translating this into design, Simone adorned the ring shank with the English rose, leaves, apples and bees. A stunning 9.56 carat unheated green peridot was chosen as the centrepiece. The compartment of the ring reveals a secret stairway in the castle.
To capture the miniature details of the fan vault of the King’s College Chapel, it took more than 4,000 hours. Diamonds were set intricately. The ring is paired with an 18.2 carat unheated aquamarine sugarloaf and the secret compartment feature details of the fan vault.
Simone reinterpreted the silhouette of the renaissance-styled stairs of the Queen’s House on the ring shank and tulip details of the railings are carved out of mother of pearl adorn on both sides. The diamond encrusted ring is set with an 8.91 carat blue Tanzanite sugarloaf. Like the rest, the gemstone can be flipped open to reveal another view of the miniature stairs.
The St Paul’s Cathedral ring has simple baroque details on the outside with the dome set as a surprise within the secret compartment. The dome was recreated in microscale, with a single diamond set in the middle to represent the light of faith. It took almost 4800 hours to carve the details and create a hidden opening in between those details. Diamonds are finely micro-paved throughout the ring and the main gemstone is a rare 8.55 carat pink zircon sugarloaf.
Drawing inspiration from the large stained-glass windows and the gigantic chandelier that Simone adores, the ring of the Palace of Westminster has a ring shank that mirrors the gothic details, with diamonds and white mother of pearl setting. The centrepiece is a stunning 10.65 carat unheated red garnet sugarloaf. Beneath the stone is a compartment housing a miniature replica of the chandelier studded in diamonds.
The modern interpretation of the Gherkin ring has triangular panels reflected throughout the design. Each panel is alternate with diamonds and white mother of pearl cut by hand to fit various sizes. The peak of the building is replicated with a 8.20 carat purple amethyst sugarloaf where the secret compartment has an artistic interpretation of the building’s triangular pattern.
