Johnny Depp, babbling piratically, brandished a burnished diamond engagement ring last week as confirmation of his planned wedding to Rum Diaries co-star Amber Heard. Lucky guy, lucky lady. This "chick's ring" – his words – sent Chinese fans at a Beijing press conference swooning.
From the Italian jewellers Ormé – which means footprints in Italian – comes a competitor. Ormé’s signature ring, which retails for Dh78,000, is available from its store in Jumeirah Lakes Towers in Dubai, which opened last year. It’s 120 grams of 18-carat white gold with white and gold diamonds.
Ezio Patrizi, who, with his wife Cinzia opened their first store in 1988, describes the ring’s genesis as follows: “Cinzia had the idea of the ring when we were at our beach house; she was watching sea waves during a very windy day and thought of the water caressing the arm, flowing around it.
“The idea is an ideal embrace; we thought that this piece could be one of the few jewels that a woman could wear without needing any other ornament.”
So there you have it. A ring that is like being caught in the sea’s rolling embrace, and which the experience of wearing is like having your arm submerged in warm saltwater.
So far, two have been created and sold in Italy, with a third available for the Dubai market. Each is hand-made, and takes one month to produce.
For Ormé, which has two stores in Italy – the second opened last year – the ring, designed last September, is a testament to the brand’s creativity. Ormé claims its bespoke creations appeal to Italy’s upper classes thanks to its combination of Italian heritage with unique and unusual design.
“It is intended for the woman who has almost everything and can afford even more,” Mr Patrizi adds about the signature ring. Everything, that is, except Johnny Depp. But rest easy, Depp fans, since he’s unlikely to be your dream man anyway.
“I think that I would be better at making women’s shoes than I would be at wedding planning, I can’t plan anything. I’m really bad at that stuff,” Depp told the Associated Press. How fortunate that he’s been taken off the market then.
q&a a rare gem to be treasured
Cinzia Patrizi, co-founder of Ormé, reveals more about the jewellery brand’s signature ring.
Why should I buy it?
Because the ring has a unique design. It’s very precious and completely handmade; there will not be many of these in the world. It might be reproduced other times, if it becomes our signature piece here in Dubai. We’re also thinking of releasing a different version, with different colour stones.
Why did Ormé open a shop in Dubai?
We opened our showroom in Dubai because we love the city; we have been coming here for a long time, and just this year we thought of launching Ormé. We love the diversity of this place and the different cultures that make it so special. It’s a unique place, just like our jewels.
What has the response been?
We just started marketing the brand; we are confident that results will come soon.
How does it differ from the Italian shop?
In Rome, we don’t just sell our own jewels, we sell other manufacturers’ jewellery; in Dubai we are only marketing Ormé, which is our own brand.
What other products does Ormé sell?
We specialise in rings and earrings; necklaces will come soon, as we are trying to gradually understand this market. We will launch a new line soon, which will be a little less expensive, but always unique and the result of an exclusive design.
abouyamourn@thenational.ae
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