The sighting: Superstar singer and king of the sexy slow jam Usher Raymond commissioned a custom portrait ring to honor his dearly departed grandmother. She would have been 84 this year, and her loving grandson posted a closeup of the ring on Instagram to commemorate the day.

The jewels: With a round, gently domed silhouette, the ring features a portrait of Usher’s grandmother surrounded by what looks like mother-of-pearl inlay and a halo of black diamonds. It was designed by Jacquie Aiche, which I know because Usher made sure to thank the jewelry designer in his post, something I always appreciate.

There is little information available about this ring online, which makes me think it really is a treasured personal piece that the singer usually keeps to himself. I could only find one mention of it anywhere, and it’s the post on Usher’s own Instagram.

Jacquie Aiche doesn’t have custom portrait rings listed as a product on her website, but the designer does offer a small collection of similarly styled rings and necklaces with flora and fauna motifs. That collection starts at $8,000 and features hand-painted designs on mother-of-pearl set in 14K gold with diamonds.

The trends: Sentimental jewelry is booming right now, as people seek comfort and closeness in a world that’s still traumatized by the turmoil of recent years. This ring is a perfect example of how that trend reaches all segments of the market, from entry level birthstone jewelry to exquisite custom pieces for A-listers.

What do we think? This is both an objectively beautiful piece of jewelry and a touching sentiment. Usher is a frequent jewelry wearer – he often appears in necklaces, lapel brooches and big blingy rings – but seeing a piece like this makes me think his affinity for jewelry is truly part of his personality, rather than a style choice he affects for public appearances.

Judgement: 16/10 for a beautiful ring and a sweet tribute from a swoon-worthy singer.