Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette!
In today's video we discuss pinky rings.
We talk about the history, its significance as well as how to wear pinky rings and how
to buy them.
If you're interested in Signet rings, please check out this in-depth video guide here.
And for a glimpse into my personal ring collection, please head over here.
So first of all, what is a pinky ring?
Basically it's a ring worn on the fifth finger also known as the pinky finger.
Interestingly the pinky finger got its name from the Dutch word pink which means as much
as a little finger.
So why do men wear rings on their pinky finger and not let's say on their index finger, ring
finger or thumb?
Well, for that you have to take a glimpse into history.
For most of modern history, men's rings were always a symbol of wealth, social class and
your prestige.
Often they were worn to make a specific statement such as in a signet ring.
And again, you can learn more about those here.
If you go further back in history, you can see that men wore rings and basically any
finger on both hands including the index finger.
In the 18th century, most men especially in England would wear rings only on their pinky
finger.
Later in Victorian times men and women could wear a pinky ring to indicate that they weren't
interested in marriage.
When wedding bands for men became more popular, oftentimes they would stash their signet ring
and their wedding ring on their pinky finger of the same hand.
In the 20th century, a new approach to clothing came about and it was much less about tradition
and more about fashion and making a stylish statement.
The same is true for pinky rings.
You can see pinky rings worn by men in Paris through the Jazz Age.
It was just an expression almost of freedom and style.
In the US, many wealthy Americans adhere to the British tradition of wearing their signet
ring or their pinky ring on the left hand.
That's also true for FDR who wore it again on the left pinky.
A little later American grifters and members of the Mafia would wear pinky rings to indicate
their affiliation with certain organizations.
Because of that, in the mind of some people even today the pinky ring has somewhat of a negative
connotation.
But just like with fashion in general, rules relax a lot
after the end of World War II.
Of course the English have always been more into their traditions, and so even up until
the 60s for most men of a certain class, it was unthinkable to wear anything but a pinky
ring and maybe a
simple pair of cufflinks. The pinky ring was usually worn on the left hand
pinky finger.
For example, if you look at Prince Charles, he still does it today.
He stashes his wedding band as well as his pinky ring on the left hand.
Of course there were also rebels such as Winston Churchill who would wear his signet ring on
the ring finger of his right hand.
If you like rings and if you like to wear them on your pinky finger or anywhere else
you can just do it and be just fine.
So in conclusion, pinky rings today are more of a fashion statement and an expression of
your style than they are in association with tradition or to display your social class
or status.
Traditionally pinky rings came in a wide range of shapes often they had a typical signet
ring shape that was slimmer at the bottom band and then got wider, paired with a semi-precious
stone.
Additionally pinky rings were made out of solid metal such as solid gold in ten, fourteen
or eighteen karat maybe sometimes even nine karat.
You could also find them in sterling silver or in platinum.
In terms of the shape of the stone or the details or the engravings on the ring, the
sky is basically the limit.
And if you look at my ring collection you can get an idea of what the possibilities
are.
Every once in a while you see a small diamond in a brilliant cut set to the left and to
the right of the center stone which is a very classic look.
Stones that are particularly good for pinky rings are turquoise, bloodstone, onyx, lapis
lazuli, tiger's eye, tourmaline, malachite and star sapphires.
Personally, I really like star sapphires.
They're rare and they're expensive but when you have a light source, it creates a star
that moves with your movement and I just think the look is quite exceptional and unique.
Since the pinky ring often emulates a signet ring without the engraving or the Signet,
they're mostly flat stones.
That being said, you can also have dome stones such as this one with a green tourmaline which
I like a lot.
So why should you wear a pinky ring?
Basically for the same reason you wear most of your other clothes and accessories.
Simply because you like it and you want to express your
own style.
Also keep in mind not many other men are wearing pinky rings so it's an easy way to set you
apart from others.
There are also no mechanical parts so you don't have to service them like a watch and
at the same time they're less expensive than the wristwatch.
That being said it's always difficult to get the right ring size because most men's rings
are of a larger diameter and you either have to size them down at your local jeweler for
a fee or you find one that is exactly the right size.
Because of that, we want to create pinky rings that are classic, stylish and affordable.
So if you're interested please head over to our website and tell us a little bit more
about what you're interested in and maybe we can help you.
So what are pinky ring do's and don'ts?
First of all, don't go with oversized pinky rings because they're quite gaudy.
As a general rule the center stone should be slightly slimmer than the width of your
pinky finger.
Don't mix metals.
Either go with gold or silver but having those two-tone looks rarely work and it makes you
look dated or like from the 80s very quickly.
Don't buy overly ostentatious rings with very bold and loud engravings or lots of different
stones.
It's just not part of a gentleman's wardrobe.
Now on the flipside, do match the metal color of your pinky ring to your other accessories.
So with a gold pinky ring maybe gold cufflinks and a gold belt buckle.
I know that it can be a little more tricky and if you don't happen to have it don't stress
out about it, just wear it and enjoy it.
What looks particularly dapper is if you match the stones of your ring to your cufflinks
and I often do that with our Fort Belvedere collection.
For example I like to match lapis cuff links with a lapis ring or a malachite pinky ring
with malachite cuff links.
I found that with the seasons the size of my fingers changes dramatically. In the summer
I have puffier, bigger fingers and in the winter I have slimmer fingers.
Because of that I buy rings in different sizes so I can wear them at different times of the
year.
Last but not least even though this is a pinky ring guide I think you should not just limit
yourself to the pinky fingers but you can also play with the ring fingers or other fingers
and see what you like and what works for you.
Personally, I always wear my wedding band on the ring finger of the left hand and then
one ring on the right hand because I think it's balanced not over-the-top.
I've seen other men who wear a lot of rings or some men who wear just a wedding band.
Ultimately the choice is yours.
So where should you buy pinky rings?
Honestly my collection grew all vintage not because I wanted it to be that way but I simply
couldn't find the kind of ring I want it from jewellers in a price range that I deemed acceptable.
Finding a nice new pinky ring can set you back at several thousand dollars and it just
seemed over-the-top because I could invest in suits, shoes, and shirts instead, as well
as a number of accessories for the same price.
Now of course it takes a lot of time.
You need to travel through vintage stores and you have to be lucky to find something
that fits you at the time you're there.
Of course you can have rings resized to a certain extent.
You can make them bigger, you can make them smaller but it always depends on the specific
ring.
So if you are interested in quality pinky rings with different stones and exactly the
size that is right for you, please head over to our website.
Tell us a little more about it and maybe we can help you to find that right piece for
your pinky finger.
If you enjoyed this video subscribe to our channel so stuff like this comes right to
your inbox.
And in today's outfit, I'm wearing a casual combination which consists of a sport coat.
It's a little heavier wool.
It's cut short.
It has patch pockets and a notched lapel which makes it informal.
And I combined it with a light blue pair of chinos that pick up some of the tones in the
jacket all the same keeping that same summery light color palette.
My shoes are brown chukka boots that work well and pick up tones off the jacket and
they're also contrasting the pants.
My socks are grey and light blue striped over the calf models from Fort Belvedere which
you can find in our shop here, just like the brown solid grenadine tie I am wearing here
in the video.
The shirt is slightly off-white and it's very soft and a little wrinkly with gives my appearance
a little more of a soft casual character.
The pocket square is light blue and brown with Paisley.
It picks up the tones of the tie as well as the pants and the socks and the shoes and
ties it all well together.
Again you can find it in our shop on the website.
My pinky ring is sterling silver with a tiger's eye.
It's relatively large but you can tell it's slimmer than it is long.
I really like the effect when you move it into the light and I picked it because it
works well with a brown tie as well my brown shoes.