Ring a’ ding ding
Chatting rings and real thoughtful responsibilities with the of the UK’s jazziest ring brands; Earthberry, Keylime Krush and Girlology
Words by Jodiane Milton
Over the last few months we’ve seen an explosion in eclectic, kitsch resin and clay rings. Every influencer and celebrity that sports these in-the-now accessories in some way reminds us of dressing up as a child; emphasising how truly fun, expressive and reminiscent fashion can be.
Depending on your own personal style, these revel-worthy rings can make you feel like Lizzie McGuire walking around Rome, or Betty Draper at a fancy New York dinner party. And that’s just on a rainy Tuesday in Britain. As the weather gets warmer, these bright bold designs look like they’ll be sticking around for the Summer, but the question remains of how sustainable and timeless this trend could potentially be. One thing’s for sure: while fast fashion jumps on these styles quicker than they were produced, this kind of costume jewellery lends its shopping small and slow.
There’s a huge number of true vintage pieces online, and countless iterations of unique, handmade clay jewels available across the vast Instagram, Depop and Etsy terrains to suit every individual out there. Admittedly most of these rings are made of polymer clay, which contains PVC as its base ingredient and is notoriously difficult to recycle. However, by shopping small in response to this trend you can lessen its impact by not only helping to support independent artisans but encouraging small batch creation with very little waste. By purchasing wisely, you’ll not only end up with a wonderfully unique accessory but also a piece that could last a lifetime.
These 3 young creatives Nadine, Mehr and Casey, have taken advantage of the seemingly never ending lockdowns as the perfect storm of creativity; starting their own businesses, selling eye-catching pieces and making names for themselves on the indie scene.
Earthberry
Nadine, creator of Earthberry London, found her artistic side while shopping online during lockdown in an attempt to ‘busy herself somehow.’ “I was getting really restless being at home all the time because I love having projects to actively work on,” she explained. “I was doing a lot of online shopping and came across Monchermoi whose rings I really wanted but every time they did a drop it sold out within seconds,” Nadine added.
And what else can you do when your favourite accessory is sold out consistently? Let Nadine tell you... “I just thought why not make them myself!”
Since then Nadine’s developed her own unique style with the help of the creators’ community of Instagram and Depop, making rings with a distinct 90s, cool-girl feel and designs featuring clashing colours, checked pattern, ying-yang symbols and even birthstones.
Whilst Nadine admires the way small creatives support each other by sharing buyers, products, ideas and moulding friendships encouraging each other's businesses, Nadine is quick to point out that “bigger brands should be supporting small businesses and including them in the bigger scope.”
“Depop is a great example of what’s technically a bigger brand existing of all these smaller businesses,” Nadine began, “but they don’t shy away from this and go all out to support us and make the hard-to-achieve possible.”
Nadine doesn’t shy-away from discussing the relationship between fast-fashion and the planet, having carefully contemplated using polymer clay. “I often see young creators promote their jewellery brands as sustainable but I question how sustainable the use of polymer clay is as it’s technically a type of plastic, is it not?”
Keylime Krush
London-based Mehr Gajria, creator of Keylimekrush, embodies the Blue Chip philosophy that the past can ignite creativity to create something new and fresh.
Bright, chunky and distinctly playful, KeylimeKrush’s designs are inspired by colourful plastic rings she found in her childhood home last autumn. Listing them on her Depop later on, Mehr was shocked to see how much attention the rings got, and how fast they sold out.
“I had some clay laying around and a few scrap beads and just let my creativity lead me,” Mehr began. In fact, one of Mehr’s most iconic designs, with a centred flower, originated from some random beads and broken necklaces, exhibiting clearly how something old can be used to meet the demands of today’s buyers.
Mehr uses polymer clay as it’s very versatile and reliable for ring making, before covering with a resin glaze, leaving her rings with a professional, glimmering shine. “There’s no waste as each ring’s made to order and my packaging is all recyclable and eco friendly.”
While describing how she found her creativity, she sung the praises of the small, online business community she has become a part of, explaining that over lockdown many small businesses emerged from hobbies that had been turned into sustainable businesses. “This along with the promotion of small creators and slow fashion has led people to realise there are lots of talented people, of all ages, creating all kinds of fabulous items to spice up their wardrobe and jewellery collection,” Mehr said.
Girlology
Casey, owner of Girlology, takes inspiration from the natural world and the things surrounding her when creating handmade jewellery. Her collections are brimming with flowers, animal prints and fruits.
Working from Louth in Lincolnshire, creative sparks began to fly for Casey when she saw the growing popularity of funky chunky rings, and went to buy one herself from a larger brand.
”I thought I could try it out myself and before I knew it I was making different shapes, getting whisked away by the creativity of it all,” the 21-year-old explained. before adding, “I’m constantly looking at different art and shapes in real life thinking ‘how could this be a ring?’ I went on to design the strawberry ring and instantly wanted to make more fruits, so I came up with the pineapple before the Rolling Stones inspired my lip collection,” Casey said. “I just look at everyday things because I always want to have original designs so I can stand out and give people completely unique accessories to wear.”
Casey loves it when other small business owners communicate about her work. “It’s so amazing to hear someone who’s also selling handmade products also likes my products and has taken the time to let me know,” she smiled. And when it comes to supporting her fellow businesses? Casey has some tips to tell… “I mostly follow other small businesses on my page and will like and comment where I can,” she began. “I tag small businesses on my story when I’ve made a purchase or if they’ve asked for some help reaching an audience,” Casey added enthusiastically.
This online community support has definitely made all the difference as Casey’s business has grown fast. Expressing her gratitude, Casey said, “I’m so thankful for the response and all the support I’ve received. Last month I was at 500 followers and now I’m at 5.3K! Casey’s following just keeps on growing. “Within the first two weeks I was in an ELLE Netherlands article! I didn’t expect that at all.”
But if you think whipping up some hand-made rings and selling to an eager audience is easy peasy, think again. “I still doubt myself but the response I get is so different so it motivates me to carry on,” Casey ended happily, thanking her audience tenfolds.