An antiqued finish does something honest. It lets a new piece look lived-with, the way an object handed down through a family looks.

The motif

The same cloud scroll that runs through Chinese architecture and court dress, here worked around the full circumference so there is no front and no back. Wherever the ring turns on your finger, the pattern is still correct.

The finish

The recesses are deliberately darkened and the raised surfaces left brighter. This is an old metalworking habit: oxidise the low ground, polish the high ground, and the pattern gains depth without any added colour.

Wearing it

Heavier in feel than it looks. Good on the index or middle finger, and good stacked against a plain band where the contrast in finish does the work.

Care

Remove before washing hands, swimming or sleeping. Wipe with a soft dry cloth. Do not polish the darkened recesses — that shadow is the design.

Details

• Cloud scroll worked around the full band
• Antiqued finish, darkened recesses
• Arrives boxed — ready to give