These rings stopped me in the tracks this morning. They are more like little works of architecture, designed to give a sense of flow and movement. Here’s what Hannah Conorton of 10x and designer Claudio Pino had to say:
“In this collection, I add meticulous mechanisms to give the stone set the freedom to follow the owner’s movements, reflecting the wearer in many small, intricate ways,” Pino said. “My rings come alive only when they find their owners.”
Pino’s “Infinity” ring is made in 14-karat gold and sterling silver with moonstone, diamonds and ruby.
I was skeptical when I first saw Pino’s rings–the rounded gemstones set into the bottom of the lower shank of the band and seemingly sharp edges of the design had me thinking it might be an uncomfortable piece of jewelry to wear. But I couldn’t have been more wrong; each ring was extremely comfortable and wearable, forming perfectly to the movements of my hand and fingers.
“During the creative process, I never forget that someone will be wearing the ring,” Pino said. “Therefore, rings first need to be very comfortable and belong to the hand.”
Pino’s “Metamorphosis” ring is made in sterling silver and 14-karat gold with moonstone, pearls, turquoise, prehnite and amethyst.
The designer also told me he draws from a wealth of inspiration for his creations, from the aurora borealis to ancient Egypt, carefully constructing which gemstones are paired with one another in each ring.
“I juxtapose cold silver to the warm gold, calm green emeralds to vivid red rubies, to the hue of the charm and freshness of whitewater pearls,” he said. “Each design portrays a slice of life.”
Pino’s Cereus ring is made in 14-karat gold with opal, tanzanite, blue diamonds and pearls.
Quek Chin Yeow, the deputy chairman and head of Sotheby’s jewelry department in Asia, noted that the sale represented one of the highest totals for jewelry sales held in Asia by the auction house.
