OffeRings part 3: The Gifting Ceremony

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 to the river as an offering for 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, the 'Destiny of the garnets' to Kate Finnigan from the Financial Times to return to the Thames, where the garnets were originally found when Ruth went mudlarking during lockdown. 

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

See more of the 'Destiny of the Thames Garnets' ring here.

OfferRing 2:  Mudlarkers

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

"It really was an incredible thing to to offer such beautiful objects back to the Thames and very fitting. Our ancestors revered the river with their most precious possessions and slowly, over time, we have forgotten that respect. Offering something so precious to the heart of the 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, Mudlarker

 

See more of the 'Mudlarkers' ring here.

OffeRing 3: Time Capsule

In a very exciting twist, the 'Time Capsule' ring has been chosen by Curator at the V&A and Jewellery Historian, Claire Philips, to be part of the permanent display at the V&A. This is a complete honour and a lifelong dream for Ruth. We will share more on this when the date has been announced.

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

 

See more of the 'Time Capsule' ring here.

OffeRing 4: Homage to the Craftsperson & Pin Maker

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

"So many of the thames finds are created by craftspeople as far back as prehistoric and roman times….to touch something they created is the most incredible connection and honour for me." Ruth Tomlinson

 

See more of the 'Homage to the Craftsperson & Pin Maker' ring here.

Lastly, we want to say a big thank you to everyone that attended this event and made it so special: Claire Phillips, Kim Parker, Kate Finnigan, Rachel Garrahan, Jess Diamond, Jo Ellison, Juliet Fallowfield, Hannah Silver, Charlie Miller and our guest speaker Lara Maiklem.

You can read more about the OffeRings in the Financial Times