They say what goes around comes around and it can be applied to so much of our daily lives and none more so than when it comes to fashion of any kind. Not so long ago costume jewelry was de rigeur and anybody who was anyone wore it. Then, wearing it became frowned upon and only the best quality stones and precious metals were the thing. Well, the wheel has turned again, so, forget the bling and expensive pieces and be prepared to be been blown away by the latest thing to really come to the fore in the shape of a pewter armor ring and boy are they something else.
It would seem that the armor ring has been a well known secret, kept within a small group of people who favour the Gothic style of dress. It is only recently since the likes of Vivienne Westwood have also discovered how fantastic they are and she has put her mark on them in her own formidable style that people have started to notice how stunning and wearable they really are.
As a ring, a round and small piece of jewelry it is not. Other names for them include full finger ring, medieval ring and knight ring to name but a few. The first one especially is a huge clue to how they appear if you have never come across one to look at before.
When you put one of these beautiful finger adornments on (because to be honest that is exactly what they are) your finger is covered from the base to either just under your nail or to the second joint, so you can imagine the visual impact that they create. In fact, I have never had a piece of jewelry stimulate such a huge amount of fascination and lost count the number of times people asked where and how they could get one.
They are generally made of pewter or sterling silver and as such are very durable and extremely comfortable to wear. Being made of 2 or 3 pieces of your chosen material and jointed in the same places as your own finger you barely know you have it on as it moves with your hand very naturally.
I am not sure of the origins of the rings but looking at some of the designs and names they seem to lend themselves to times long ago when knights and fair maidens lived and being both rugged and intricate to look at could be worn by either sex. The same has to be said today too as, some are as manly as others are delicate and with so many to choose from you are spoiled for choice.
I think that as a piece of costume jewelry a pewter armor ring is as dramatic and impactive as anything the roaring 20s had to offer. They may not be quite as glitzy or glamorous and in your face like so much that particular decade produced but, they are quietly understated in a mysterious, intriguing way which I think makes them all the more desirable. Airplane earrings