Renowned for her talismanic, enamel-swathed designs, Cece Fein-Hughes has created symbolism-steeped commissions for Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie, and Jacob Elordi. Her most meaningful made-to-order piece yet, however, is a tiny signet ring for her baby daughter, Posie. “It really is the biggest dream come true,” smiles the west London-based designer, whose fascination with symbolism, folklore and fairytales can be traced back to the stories she heard from her grandmother while growing up amid the wild moorlands of Dartmoor. “A signet ring traditionally bears a family seal and is passed down through generations, so creating one for my daughter feels incredibly symbolic, as though everything has come full circle for our family.”
Bespoke signet rings, lockets and pendant charms are a significant part of Cece Jewellery’s business, with mothers often commemorating the births of their children through pieces adorned with engraved and enameled star-sign motifs and other meaningful emblems. (Or, in Taylor Swift’s case, a portrait of her Ragdoll cat, Benjamin Button.)
When Fein-Hughes designed her daughter’s ring in heart-stoppingly cute proportions—its signet face measures just 6mm by 8mm, with a 2mm band—she created a corresponding one for herself. “Her name means a small bunch of flowers, so I always knew they would be at the heart of the design,” she says. “Posie’s ring features a rosebud that has not yet bloomed, while my signet depicts the same rose in full flower. Together, they represent the growth that both a mother and daughter experience throughout their lives. The rosebud symbolizes all the possibility that lies ahead of her. My hope is that I can guide and protect her, nurture her creativity and give her the foundations and freedom to grow and blossom into whoever she chooses to become.”
Fein-Hughes began designing her daughter’s ring while she was pregnant, immersing herself in the Victorian “language of flowers,” through which secret feelings could be spoken aloud. She was particularly drawn to the jewelry exchanged by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert, which came to represent their growing family. (Before their wedding in 1840, Albert gave Victoria a brooch in the shape of a porcelain and gold orange blossom sprig, symbolizing fertility and betrothal; six years later, she commemorated their anniversary with a headdress featuring four enamel oranges, one for each of their children.) “I have always been fascinated by jewelry that reveals its story slowly—something beautiful at first glance, but deeply personal once you understand its symbolism,” Fein-Hughes adds. “Victorian pieces were also made with the intention of lasting forever. In a world where so many things are designed to be replaced, I find something incredibly meaningful about creating an object that can survive generations and continue telling a family’s story long after we are gone.”
