Why cocktail rings are making a comeback – from Carey Mulligan as flapper Daisy Buchanan in The Great Gatsby to ever-chic Sylvie in Netflix’s Emily in Paris
The Jewellery Editor’s Ase Anderson and jewellers Kia Schwaninger, Sydney-based Alina Barlow of Alinka and Melbourne-based Cushla Whiting all weigh in on the trend
If there’s one piece of jewellery to truly signify a woman’s independence, and overall fabulousness, it’s the cocktail ring.
The idea of the cocktail ring is said to have been established in the 1920s with the flapper – that glittering, liberated woman with her drop-waist dresses and bobbed hair. She would don a cocktail ring, typically on her right hand, in a prohibition-era speakeasy to signal she was ready for a top-up. And probably also that she was not a woman to be messed with.
As Ase Anderson noted in The Jewellery Editor, “In this new era of burgeoning freedom, a bold cocktail ring was also a way for women to flaunt their independence. Usually worn on the right hand, the ring was blatantly not a wedding band and had most likely been bought with a woman’s own money.”
Case in point? Carey Mulligan, as ultimate flapper Daisy Buchanan in Baz Luhrmann’s 2013 epic The Great Gatsby, positively adorned with beautiful art deco cocktail rings.
After this period, cocktail rings would become an essential accessory for women in the 50s and 60s for – yes – cocktail hour. They were particularly resonant in the high glam 80s too, among strong-shouldered, power-dressing women who wore them as a style signature. Today, costume, fine and high jewellery brands are offering interesting takes on the style.
Jeweller Kia Schwaninger, who designed for the likes of Van Cleef & Arpels and Harry Winston before starting her own jewellery brand Kia Schwan, says cocktail rings have evolved in recent years. Her joyful, architectural pieces with colourful carved stones that resemble sweets in a candy store are proof.
“Traditionally, cocktail rings were centred around the four major gemstones, but they have since evolved into a diverse array of designs and stone varieties, offering endless possibilities,” says Schwaninger, who defines a cocktail ring as “a substantial, eye-catching ring that captivates without being ostentatious [and] should be crafted from precious materials, yet remain unpretentious”.
As for what people are seeking in a cocktail ring now? Schwaninger says the brighter, the better. This is at the foundation of her newest collection, Colorhythms – crafted in 18k rose gold, yellow gold and platinum.