Discover Rachel Boston’s chic and modern engagement rings for men
Meet the designer rethinking men’s jewellery with a new ten-piece collection, ‘Relic’
‘There is still quite a narrow visual language around men’s engagement jewellery,’ says Rachel Boston, on the eve of the launch of her collection of ten men’s rings. ‘I wanted to create something design-led and timeless, but with our own design signatures. Rings that feel substantial and masculine, where the interest comes through proportion and form rather than decoration for its own sake.’
London-based jewellery designer Boston, who has made a sculptural sensibility her own, has created wedding bands and bespoke pieces for men before, but felt now was the time to create a collection for men. ‘Relic’, encompassing ten engagement or statement rings in 18ct gold or platinum, distills ancient Roman inspirations into edgy, modern silhouettes.
‘I’ve always loved the forms and heft of Roman signet rings. There’s a sense of permanence to them; the strong proportions and sculptural band shapes have always caught my eye on museum visits,’ says Boston.
‘Roman signet rings would traditionally have been set with carved gemstones such as onyx, garnet and carnelian, but I loved the idea of taking these ancient forms and setting them with modern-cut white diamonds instead. There [seemed] something quite fitting in that combination, the permanence of these forms alongside the diamond, with all its associations with longevity and marriage. It allowed us to reference something ancient while making the pieces feel unmistakably contemporary.’
Boston considers every detail, including the way the diamonds sit in their gold bands, with several of the designs referencing a historical Roman setting technique which outlines the stone in an architectural profile. ‘The starting point was to take these recognisable ancient forms and strip them back. I wanted the historical reference to be felt rather than for the rings to look like replicas,’ Boston adds. ‘It was also about bringing in elements of our own design language. Some pieces incorporate our signature knife-edge setting, giving the metal a sharper and more angular profile around the diamond, while the white diamonds themselves bring a brightness to these heavier gold and platinum forms.
‘That contrast runs through the whole collection: weight and lightness, ancient and modern, something that could feel almost excavated but at the same time very precise. I wanted the rings to carry a sense of history without belonging to the past.’
