A Ring For Pandora Sykes
Pandora Sykes is a journalist, author and podcaster. She has written for The Sunday Times, the Guardian, ELLE, GQ, Grazia and Porter, published two books, made numerous chart-topping podcasts including The High Low and Radio 4’s Unreal: A Critical History of Reality TV, and interviewed luminaries such as Michelle Obama, Kate Winslet, Jacinda Ardern, Reese Witherspoon and Margaret Atwood. She writes the UK’s No.1 books newsletter, Books + Bits.
The Brief
This collaboration came about through a chance conversation with a mutual friend. I had always wanted to work with Pandora, and having followed her for many years, I felt sure I had a sense of what her jewellery style would be, but I thought wrong!
When we met for coffee for the consultation, full of chat and laughter, it became clear that her aesthetic was much more modern than I had imagined. The jewellery she was wearing that day was a considered curation of clean, polished gold pieces.
As we looked closer, a continual theme emerged: a wave-like shape that created a sense of undulating movement. She referenced her mum’s ring, which had that same fluid form and was set with three diamonds and one sapphire – each stone representing her children. Pandora too, wanted a ring to represent her family, her three children and her husband, woven subtly into the design.
The Consultation
We met in Notting Hill to for the consultation, and two hours later, we had covered everything from jewellery to life and family.
Pandora came wearing her inspiration – her jewellery with that continual wave motif, and even her belt had a criss-cross, wave-like detail. We started off exploring the idea of something quite chunky, possibly featuring lots of small grain-set diamonds in four rows, but the concept evolved.
In the end, we landed on something far more fluid and delicate: fine spaghetti-style waves with four bezel set diamonds, graduating in size from smallest to biggest, just like the four members of her family they represent.
The Result
The final design is a striking, modern take on her mum’s wave ring – a piece that feels distinctive and deeply personal.
The wave motif captures both family and personal style, and mirrors Pandora’s own unwavering sense of self. She knows who she is and she is not swayed by trends, so it is only fitting that the design echoes a shape that has been part of her story from her mother’s ring to now.
Designing my ring with Laura was a literal dream come true. I had had ideas bubbling round in my head for ages about a piece of jewellery (a sort of ‘clean classic’) that could represent my kids and somehow be in homage to my mum, too, but I never thought I’d be able to actually make it. Laura is a genius and the whole process from start to finish was pure bliss. I feel so incredibly lucky. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
— PANDORA SYKES
