A growing trend is to match a finger ring with a pair of earclips. Such a set may lend its harmony to an ensemble. There are patterns of dome-shaped earclips that also make attractive rings. Flower designs, similarly used, if modulated in three dimensions, can produce dramatic effects. The stones and the design in the ring may be the same size as in the earclips or a little smaller.
The sculptor Rodin hid the hands of his great statue of Balzac, because he wanted the beholders’ eyes to move directly up to the massive head. But the everyday beholders of a fair lady see her moving hands as well as her lively countenance; and the matching earclips and finger ring form a pleasant device for tying together the charms of the personality.
Interchangeable Centers
Another ring design that has a comparatively new vogue is that with a changeable center. A permanent band and setting are prepared. The best stones for the setting, to harmonize with any possible center stone, are diamonds. Thus baguette diamonds along the band, with perhaps a round stone, or a marquise, on each side next to the center, make a beautiful background to any stone. Then, for the center stone, one may have a varied selection, using what fits one’s mood and the occasion. A pearl, an emerald, a sapphire, a ruby: stones of similar size can be mounted so that any one can be set into the jewel. In this way, with the single mounting, a series of rings can be worn, surprisingly different in their appearance and effect.
There are other changes that can be effected with rings, almost of the order of optical illusions. If a woman who has been wearing a ring on her third finger transfers it to the little finger, she will think that the gem has grown—perhaps a carat or more. Moving a ring in the other direction makes it seem smaller. Perhaps a ring usually worn on one finger really belongs on another. This transference often gives a ring a new added attraction and wearability. The cost of resizing is very small.
Ring Sizes
Whatever the finger, the ring should not be made too tight. As I said before, it is better to have a guard ring, which, though a narrow band, can be made in itself an article of true adornment.
Should a ring that has not been taken off for some time resist removal, it should not be forced. Some women become panicky when they cannot pull off a ring—as though its obstinacy made them unwilling slaves. A little soapy water will usually prove effective. The moistened hand should be held pointing toward the ceiling, while the finger is gently massaged. When the swelling seems to have somewhat subsided, the ring should be turned around and around, with a slight upward pull; once past the wide part of the finger, it is off. If the ring continues rebellious, the jeweler is equipped with special instruments for the painless removal of tight-fitting rings.
If the knuckles are large, the ring that passes over them will of course be loose where it is supposed to stay snug. Here too the jeweler can assist. A simple adjustment, of which there are several types, accommodates the ring to the different finger sizes. The ring will slip off easily, yet stay fixed in the proper position, neither sliding nor turning around.