DiscoveRings #1 Scottish Agates

20th May 2024

Following on from Ruth's 2021 OffeRings project incorporating mudlarked historical finds from the Thames foreshore into her contemporary wearable treasures, she recently set her treasure-hunting sights a little further afield working on her latest project entitled DicoveRings.

Inspired to celebrate the often overlooked natural treasures that can be found across the British Isles, Ruth set out to renew her sense of discovery and indulge her connection with nature. 

"My DiscoveRings collection embodies the spontaneity and joy of finding beautiful objects beneath our feet and in unexpected places. Nowadays we are often so busy and we don’t take enough time to truly appreciate and investigate our surroundings. To stop and look, take that moment for ourselves. So the collection is a nod to slowing down and connecting with nature and all its detail that lies all around us, waiting to be found by inquisitive souls with a sense of discovery. " 

The project started with consulting experts and collectors across the country who suggested where Ruth might discover gemstones in Britain. Having been introduced to a gem enthusiast and collector in Edinburgh, Ruth narrowed down the search for her first DiscoveRings instalment to Scottish agates.

Ruth soon headed to Scotland to ‘fossick’ - rummage and sift - on the beaches for interesting agates. Heading to the Scottish coastal village of East Haven, once popular with Victorian agate collectors, she was guided by Jan, an expert stone collector who lent his specialist eye and educated her on what to look for on the beach. Fossicking along the miles of beach she discovered shards of agate in rich hues of moss, blue, pink and grey, along with whole nuggets containing the colourful details within. The shards had been broken on their journey to the Earth's surface, then polished by the ebb and flow of the tide and now lay ready for inquisitive souls to discover. The rock-like nuggets added an element of mystery given their contents couldn’t be revealed while on the beach without tools. 

Back at her studio in London, Ruth worked alongside two highly skilled stone cutters to start the process of refining her finds to celebrate their unique character and beauty. Ruth used the cut and half-cut agates to create 10 sculptural rings reminiscent of the jagged cliffs and beaches of their provenance. 

Transforming alternative natural treasures into timeless adornments has always been at the heart of Ruth's designs. Ruth hopes her creations will inspire others to appreciate the often hidden and unexpected natural beauty all around them.

Read more about the project in the FT How To Spend It