Sterling Silver Vine Ring | Handmade Designer Rings

Sterling Silver Vine Ring

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This exquisite ring is hand-crafted in Sonoma County, California, using reclaimed sterling silver. It twines itself gracefully around the finger in the traditional bright tones of silver. In honor of the endlessly beautiful natural world, designer Midori Ferris Wayne chooses environmentally-friendly materials. This tendril of precious metal is so realistic it appears to be the very vine it is modeled after. The band is approximately 2mm wide.

Mood: Romantic, Rustic, Sweet

Motif: Organic

$165

This piece will be made just for you, and ships within 4 weeks.

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$165.00

About

Silver is an ancient metal, with a varied and illustrious past. The elemental symbol is Ag, from the Latin word ‘Argentum’ – meaning white or shining. Discovered sometime around 4000 BCE, silver was first mined in order to make objects of beauty and value.

In the 11th and 12th century, in what we now call the British Isles, silver pennies were printed with a small star. A penny like this was called a steorling (most likely pronounced “sterling”) in Old English, meaning “coin with star.” These steorlings were made up of 92.5% pure silver, with an alloy of 7.5% copper, just like sterling silver today.

Silver pennies weren’t always sterling, though; Henry II of England established this standard because those inclined to dishonesty would trim the edges of the softer pure silver pennies and keep the small pieces for later. Sterling silver, still a beautiful precious metal, was slightly more durable and discouraged this shifty habit.

Sterling is no longer used to make coins, but many recognized the advantage of a precious metal that was both beautiful and durable: two traits that are ideal in a favorite piece of jewelry.

Artist

Designer Midori Ferris Wayne became fascinated with the decorative arts and jewelry history while working at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and came to see the art of jewelry as a means of sharing values from one generation to the next. This became the guiding principle for her craft.

In keeping with a profound commitment to sustainability and eco-conscious design, Midori does not support the mining of new metals in her jewelry practice. Without exception, all the materials she uses are completely reclaimed, from argentium sterling silver and 18k gold to vintage gemstones and pearls resurrected from antique jewelry. In addition, Midori has embraced a centuries-old Japanese tradition of alloying gold and copper to create the distinctive chocolate-colored shakudo which features in many of her pieces.