The clean, sober curves and contrasting textures of Dina Kamal's PNKYRNG collection for men and women unmask the jewellery designer's initial vocation as an architect. Key words in Kamal's vocabulary include purity and proportion, as her jewellery label DK01 eloquently attests.
Kamal has channelled her creative juices into a growing collection of pinky rings that form the backbone of her Lebanese-based DINAKAMAL DK01 brand, launched in 2010. "The pinky ring fascinates me as it has the glamour of the women of the 20s and 80s, as well as the amazing symbolic history throughout the decades," explains the designer on the eve of the reintroduction and reinterpretation of her popular coin ring.
Signet rings have been around since ancient Egypt and were usually worn by royalty or very important people who needed to transport their personal seal to authenticate documents, or at the very least show others how important they were. Engraved so that they could be dipped into wax and leave an impression of the owner's identity, signet rings were regarded as symbols of power. Such is the association that, following the death of a Pope, his signet ring is destroyed.
Working with beige, white, yellow, rose and black gold, Kamal is an artist at creating beautiful textures. From the minimalist brushed pink gold flat plate pinky ring to the twisted rope effect of her ID Torsade polished yellow gold models, Kamal's pieces engage our sight and our touch.
The new coin rings differ from the previous flat coin models in that the coin has been fused into the wide gold band. The fluid, seamless design is available in soft brushed or polished gold models. A dressier model has also been created with a central star that emanates its rays of white and champagne coloured diamonds.
In case there was any doubt about the renaissance of pinky rings, just take a look at the little finger of Prince Charles, James Gandolfini in The Sopranos, Jay-Z and Mini-Me. Some may be louder than others, but they all make a lasting impression.
Read more on the pinky ring trend
