Every aristocratic family has its own unique history. Since this class of society enjoyed exceptional privileges, its representatives led colourful lives. Genealogy and passing down the heritage from one generation to the next were vital in the reaffirmation and preservation of nobility. Through written family records and oral histories, each noble family cherished its identity, traditions, and the merits of its ancestry, which formed the foundation of their social status. On this basis, a family representative could apply for ‘Indygenat’, a recognition of nobility granted to foreign families.
To design the ring below, I studied the documentation and facts of a family from Berlin called Färber. Family trees confirm the ancestors up to 1700, the period of Prussia and then the Prussian-German Empire. In today's Polonised form, the family is called Faerber-Roensch.
Faerber historically came from the knighthood. Roensch alluded to a naval status. Hence, I included the redesigned coat of arms in the ring’s emblem. It originally contained a powder gate, hence the grainy texture of the negative space. The shield features an image of an ancient eagle associated with Prussia. The sides of the ring are decorated with ancient symbols alluding to Berlin, complemented by small sapphires. An anchor with a rope has been carved inside the ring's circumference, referencing nautical affairs. The whole piece was made in sterling silver 925.
