A Custom Pearl Signet Ring for Dermot Kennedy
Custom Sunken ‘Moon’ Pearl Signet Ring for Dermot Kennedy
This month we are absolutely ecstatic to give you a behind-the-scenes look at a custom commission for Irish singer-songwriter Dermot Kennedy! It was an absolute joy to work with Dermot on this ring and we’re delighted to report that Dermot is as happy with the final design as we are. Read on to find out what went into the design process for this modern, signature piece.
The Brief
Ahead of meeting Dermot for his first consultation, his stylist, Richard Sloan sent Sam some brief notes to get the ball rolling on the kind of aesthetic he had in mind for this commission. Initially, Richard had been watching a series of old gangster films and was interested in how masculinity could be intertwined in a playful way with Dermot's Irish heritage. Sam put together an early mood board based on these two bits of information but later after sitting down for a chat over a cuppa with Dermot in the Goldsmiths’ Centre, the idea was refined and developed a bit further.
Dermot explained that was looking for something substantial (i.e. a piece with some heft to it) that would remind him of home whilst touring, and finally, something that he could pass down in his own family some day. Sam got to work.
Drawing Up Some Ideas
With a much firmer idea of Dermot’s aesthetic vision in mind, Sam got to work drawing up five concept designs, which all work to Dermot’s thematic brief in very different ways. Let’s take a look at what she came up with!
Idea #1: The Claddagh Ring Revisited
As Dermot had mentioned he was very interested in the piece having some connection to his Irish roots, Sam began exploring symbols of Irishness in jewellery.
The Claddagh ring is an iconic piece of jewellery synonymous with Irish heritage. First produced in the 17th century, the Claddagh ring is named for a fishing village in Galway. The hands of the traditional design represent friendship, the crown loyalty, and the heart love. Claddagh rings are most commonly worn on the ring finger and are often given as gifts to friends and family.
Sam decided to play with the classic design by creating a larger, heavier and more three-dimensional version of the motif. This reinterpretation gives the Claddagh ring a chunkier, more masculine aesthetic with a contemporary feel fit for the 21st century.
Idea #2: Heavy Gold and Silver Moons
For this design, Sam sought to combine Dermot’s desire for a thicker set ring with some elements of his love of the moon. She produced renders of two versions, one in silver and the other in gold to give Dermot some options. Each features a full moon, sandwiched between two opposite facing crescent moons.
Idea #3: A Lighter Option
Though Dermot had indicated his preference for a heavier ring, Sam always tries to provide a ‘little and large version’ of her designs (which you can see throughout her collections), so she decided to also include a lighter, more subtle offering as part of the initial design presentation. Like the previous design, this one also employed the moon phase motif, using a silver signet band with raised gold moons inlaid on the signet face.
Idea #4: Gaelicising a Stereotypically British Symbol
In his design brief, Dermot mentioned sovereign rings as a style reference point. Popularised in Britain, sovereign rings historically feature a valuable solid gold sovereign coin’s face laid into a ring as a way to indicate the wearer’s wealth.
A playful take on a traditional sovereign ring, Sam replaced the solid gold sovereign with a copper alloyed old Irish 2p coin, an iconic and beautiful coin, the face of which was designed by the Irish artist Gabriel Hayes in the 1970s.
As a second option of this particular design, Sam included a render featuring a stone rather than a coin. It features larvikite, a dark grey stone which, when polished, resembles the surface of the moon.
Idea #5: A Deep Moon
Having explored different iterations and combinations of the themes listed in Dermot’s brief, it was the design that best incorporated all of them that Dermot chose.
The preferred design was a signet ring showcasing a sunken iridescent Tahitian pearl in its face to represent a moon but with a deep green hue to also represent Ireland. The ring is made from 9ct. yellow gold, with the interior walls surrounding the pearl black rhodium-plated. This makes the pearl look like it’s almost glowing in the blackness.
Not only was this Dermot’s preferred design, it was also Sam’s, as it taps into some of her own signature design motifs you can see across her original collections. Sam loves to work with pearls and signet rings, making it a fun and interesting challenge to include both in one piece.
To make the piece 100% customised for Dermot, Sam engraved his immediately recognisable ‘DK’ stamp on one side of the ring, and on the other his crescent moon emblem.
Which Design Would You Choose?
What do you think? Which design was your favourite? Would you have gone with Dermot’s choice? Let us know in the comments. We’d love to hear your feedback.
And don’t forget, if you’re interested in commissioning your own custom piece please don’t hesitate to drop us a line. Sam can upcycle old pieces you already have, or design something new and unique from scratch.