I NEVER KNOW WHERE to look first when Cynthia Erivo arrives at an awards presentation — her diamond-laden ear party or her ultra-long manicured fingers full of rings.
I tend to look at her face and therefore notice her multiple earrings in a variety of styles. But the minute she raises her hands for the cameras — which she always does — it’s rings galore, one or more on every sequined, artfully painted or sparkly nailed finger. At this year’s Screen Actors Guild Awards, she wore one pair of close-to-the ear Tiffany Schlumberger diamond earrings from the Blue Book collection, which is based on Schlumberger’s time at Tiffany & Co. So it was her mix of bold and delicate rings that stood out. There was a Tiffany & Co. T ring along with a Knot ring and some sort of wide diamond ring. But the ones that caught my eye complemented her red Louis Vuitton ensemble — the ruby rings, one on her left hand and one on her right.
The rings were both a nod to vintage styles. The one on her left hand would actually make the perfect engagement ring (well, for me, as ruby is my favorite stone). It appeared to be a diamond shank with a center solitaire and was an elegant statement of subdued style. The ring on her right middle finger was bolder and was imbued with an Art Deco feeling with what seemed to be an emerald-cut stone in the center and baguettes as side stones. Rubies are the color of passion, and Erivo certainly put plenty of it into her performance as Aretha Franklin in Genius: Aretha, for which she was nominated for an award.
The balance of the fiery red against a mix of yellow gold, white metal and white diamonds in wider and ultra-thin shapes is a look that has been trending and might just out-trend stacking. While I still love a good stack — I have been a stacker for almost 20 years — I am more inclined to look for rings of different styles, widths, stones and metals. Erivo’s hand “party” has inspired me to create a new story with rings — a ring for every finger, perhaps, or maybe at least three or four fingers on each hand. This is minus the ultra-long fingernails, as my job entails typing much of the day. But bring on the ruby rings and I will turn away from constant hand-washing and Purell usage in favor of a more tempered approach to hygiene and a hope for more dressed-up outings in the future.
How about you? What’s your taste: to keep stacking or to try out new single styles on multiple fingers?