The first time Rosa Maria showed her collection of rings at the July 98 jewellery exhibition “The Forum de Beyrouth”, she was given the cold shoulder by Lebanon’s more established jewelers. “There was one or two other ‘unorthodox’ jewellery designers like myself” said Rosa Maria “but most of the others were well-established jewelers, who rather look down on silver”.

Rosa Maria’s designs are so much more “avant-garde” than most of the opulent trinkets that constitute the bulk of mainstream jewellery. Her creations are firmly resistant to conventions, fundamentally simple for some, but complicated for others. Her silver rings are moulded out of pure metal, the same that rivalled gold 2000 years ago, and widely used by the Ottomans during the Victorian era.

These rings which are made out of a whole, pure and sober piece of silver,  have a smooth aspect but will also leave you with a feeling of unfinished roughness. They are often inlaid with precious stones like rose cut diamonds, rubies, sapphires as well as semi-precious stones like tourmaline, garnet, iolite, and peridot.

“My rings are designed to be worn five or more to a finger, separated, assembled by pairs or more, while others are inspired from old ethnic jewellery turned into contemporary designs”.

A small selection of Rosa Maria rings… All images above shot in-store. Rosa Maria Jewellery is available in-store only at Envoy of Belfast. Please get in touch via email (mail@envoyofbelfast.com) or phone +44 (0)28 9031 1110 for more information.