OffeRings Part 3: The Gifting Ceremony

1st December 2021

Last week we bid farewell to our four unique OffeRings in a secret gifting ceremony on the banks of the River Thames.

From the OffeRings' inception, Ruth always intended to return these rings, created from mudlarked items, back to the river as an offering of posterity; a gift to lay dormant until rediscovered by future mudlarkers or passers by.

OffeRing 1: Destiny of the Thames Garnets

Ruth gave the first of the rings, 'Destiny of the Garnets' to Kate Finnigan, from the Financial Times, to return to the river where the garnets were originally found when Ruth went mudlarking during lockdown.

"It was a total joy, and something I'll always remember. Apart from anything else, there was just such a lovely celebratory atmosphere throughout the morning." - Kate Finnigan

OffeRing 2: Mudlarkers

Lara Maiklem (our guest speaker and well-known mudlarker) aptly gave the 'Mudlarkers' ring back to the water. This felt really poignant as this particular ring was created with a mudlark of the future in mind, and was specially engraved with the words 'I am yours'.

"It really was an incredible thing to offer such beautiful objects back to the Thames, and very fitting. Our ancestors revered the river and offered it their most precious possessions, but slowly, over time, we have forgotten that respect. Offering something so precious to the heart of our city felt like stepping back to a time when we were more connected to the power and force of nature, which is something the world needs right now." - Lara Maiklem

OffeRing 3: Time Capsule

In a very exciting twist, the 'Time Capsule' ring has been chosen by jewellery historian and curator at the V&A Museum, Claire Philips, to be part of the permanent display at the V&A. This is a true honour and a lifelong dream for Ruth. 

"It's a gift to the people of London and the creative legacy that Ruth has talked about, dating back to Tudor times and even further to ancient Roman times. It'll provide a very tangible and accessible connection with those stones that could be hidden in the river for hundreds of years - for whenever those rings are found. We are privileged to be allowed to preserve this one." - Claire Philips

OffeRing 3: Homage to the Craftsperson & Pin Maker

Ruth herself gave 'Homage to the Craftsperson' back to the Thames. This ring was particularly poignant to Ruth, as it honours all of the unknown craftspeople that paved the way throughout history.

"So many other the Thames finds are created by craftspeople as far back as Roman and even prehistoric times... to touch something they created is the most incredible connection and honour for me." - Ruth Tomlinson

Lastly, we would like to say a big thank you to everyone that attended this event and made it so special: Claire Philips, Kim Parker, Kate Finnigan, Rachel Garrahan, Jess Diamond, Jo Ellison, Juliet Fallowfield, Hannah Silver, Charlier Miller and Lara Maiklem.

You can read more about the OffeRings in the Financial Times