It’s National Jewel Day, which means today is the perfect day to gift yourself or someone you love a piece of jewelry (hint: the Self Love Pinky Ring is a good choice). It’s also a great moment for us to share a bit more about our jewelry-making process, so you can learn more about why every element of the Fred and Far Self Love Pinky Ring is pure magic.
When I set out to create the very first Self Love Pinky Ring, I had no jewelry-making experience, but rather was driven by a lifelong passion and respect for jewelry and its power as a symbol. Growing up, jewelry was something my family used to commemorate milestones and to infuse celebrations with a timeless reminder. Some of my earliest memories are of spending time looking through my Mom’s jewelry collection and asking questions about the history and significance of every single piece. There was the necklace my Dad gave her when I was born (that later was passed to me when I gave birth to my daughters). The pearl earrings my Grandmother gave to every woman in the family (first my mom and her sisters, and then to me and my cousins). Each piece was imbued with meaning, and when I would try them on, I could feel it.
For the Self Love Pinky Ring, it was important to me that every aspect of the ring carried significance. I started by doing my research into symbols. I discovered that the upside-down triangle (or the inverted triangle) is an ancient symbol of the Divine Feminine. So I knew that using triangles in the design would be key. I used triangles for the prongs and sketched triangle cut-outs in the basket of the ring (the part that holds the stone in place). I then set out to pick a signature cut for the stone that would represent the commitment this ring would signify. I was happy to land on the trillion, another nod to the Divine Feminine and also uncommon cut that would make the ring instantly recognizable. I wanted the ring to hold its own against a traditional engagement ring, which is typically round or square, and never be confused. The trillion was the perfect shape for that.
Now that I had sketched out the design, it was time to find someone to produce it and to select the right stone. Neither task was easy, and I spent over a year in research and development until I found the right stones and the right partners to bring my vision to life. When it came to the stone, I knew that I didn’t want to use diamonds, because 1) they do not carry any value metaphysically 2) are generally mined and harmful to the Earth and 3) are expensive, making it harder for women to gift themselves the ring. From a metaphysical perspective, I knew I needed a stone that would strengthen intuition, fuel wisdom, and empower women to choose themselves with confidence and clarity. I also wanted to make sure the stone was strong and durable, like a diamond, so the ring could be worn daily. After conducting research into every precious and semi-precious stone out there, I landed on the White Sapphire. But I didn’t stop there. The issue of mining bothered me, especially with regard to environmental impact and fueling conflict, and I didn’t want the ring to be infused with any negative energy. So long before it became trendy to purchase man-made diamonds or other stones, I discovered lab-created White Sapphires. Lab-created stones signify the magic of creation, which is perfectly aligned with Fred and Far’s core values. They are biologically and visually identical to natural stones and carry all the same metaphysical values, but are made in a lab, rather than mined from the Earth. I was sold. I decided to only use precious metals – 14K solid gold, and .925 Sterling Silver rather than gold-plated or gold-filled pieces, so that the ring would withstand the test of time (just like the commitment I was asking women to make).
Now that I knew how I wanted the ring to look, and what I wanted it to be made of, I had to find the right person to make it. It was important to me to keep production in Los Angeles, CA both so that I could be involved in the process and in the quality control, and also so I could support the local economy and artisans (rather than using a mass-production factory abroad).
And thankfully, I’ve landed with vendors who are as committed to our mission and the quality of the Self Love Pinky Ring as I am. We worked for months to fine-tune the design, ensuring not only its appearance but the security of the prongs, the comfort of the band, the integrity of the ring overall. Every single element of this ring was built from scratch and continually refined until it was perfect because that is what our tribe deserves. We started out by individually 3D printing every single mold and still do that today for many of our rings. Each ring passes through the hands of multiple skilled technicians, from those who pour the metal, to those who polish it, and those who set the stones. Every single ring is inspected not just by multiple team members of our vendors, but also by our small but powerful team of women at Fred and Far. One by one, we infuse the rings with love and care for the individuals who purchase them, as this is an essential part of our packing process. Every ring is placed in our custom packaging and wrapped with our Pinky Promise pledge card so that when you receive it, you can make your pinky promise to choose, honor and remember yourself daily.
By purchasing a Self Love Pinky Ring, whether it is an Original Self Love Pinky Ring, a Mini Self Love Pinky Ring or one of our monthly specials (hint: check out the March birthstone, aquamarine, on our site), you are gifting yourself or someone you love with jewelry that had you in mind every step of the way. May it be a symbol that lives on in your family for generations.