I knew I wanted an electrified claddagh ring in my ELLE GUY collection. Traditional claddagh rings all look similar. Even those imbued with a gemstone heart don’t go far enough. I remember the playful moment when I decided - Fuck it - I’m putting the stones EVERYWHERE! The heart and the crown.
I wanted the hands to support the heart, not to squeeze it.
I wanted the ring to feel more dimensional, more like a sculpture. I envisioned the hands holding the ring and thrusting it forward.
I wanted the crown to dazzle.
I also wanted to maximize the light. I chose to set the stones with a dramatic prong setting to maximize the sparkle.
When I showed my mom the ELLE GUY Claddagh ring, she was taken aback. “That’s a lot of stones!” she exclaimed.
Had I gone too far? Is it too much?
Then I thought “Fuck it!” I decided to trust my gut.
After that initial bravado, and it was time to launch, I was nervous people wouldn’t like it.
Now that I’ve released the ring into the world, people are embracing it. Who knew?
The beautiful thing about this ring is that my Irish cousins love it! They think it’s unique.
“Nana would have loved these pieces” my Irish cousin said on Instagram. I get chocked up just thinking about her.
The truth is, seeing my extended family embrace The Claddagh, like the hands that hold the heart, has reconnected me to my family.
I never received any heirloom pieces from my own family.
With this ring, I feel reconnected to my heritage.
We create what we need.
My hope for this ring is that you not only celebrate your unique story, but that this heritage piece becomes how you pass your legacy along. So your journey becomes the lore that people still talk about in generations to come. That it morphs in purpose and meaning from family member to family member.
I would have loved to sit with my grandmother, as she showed me her jewellery. I can imagine her stories. Perhaps a friend gave her a claddagh ring because she did something that required deep courage. Or maybe it was from a secret love, or maybe even her grandmother.
My hope is that whoever receives my ELLE GUY Claddagh ring, will one day tell the story of a woman who redesigned a ring that reconnected her to her family, and ultimately allowed her to express herself. A woman who broke the rules and dared to shine.
That’s a story worth passing on.
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I’d love to hear your story. Do you have an heirloom piece that carries special memories?
I’d love to hear about your heirloom pieces, comment on Instagram