Thea Miller of Dru Jewelry creatively mines the past for ultra-modern designs
As part of her Dru Jewelry Collection, Thea Miller’s ‘Conservatory Rings” display her ability to creatively mine the past for symbolic jewelry that connects women to their emotions, grace, strength and sense of humor Thea never imitates or re-creates, rather her sensibilities and talent takes her to new places that touch on styles of various time periods with a current and clean lined vibe. Her pieces, while based on ideas found in antiquity, always appear fresh, modern, hip and relevant to today’s women. Her believe is that “as women, we are all multi-faceted and complex, yet we are independent and powerful enough to find light in the dark.”
The Conservatory rings are based on locket and poison rings that we have seen throughout different moments in jewelry’s history, dating back to medieval times and made popular again from the Victorian Era through the Vintage ‘70s.
“With the look of chunky signet rings, the Conservatory rings slide open to reveal a secret compartment. What’s so evocative about these rings is their original imagery that tells a story from the shank and top of the ring all the way through to the plaque or what Thea calls the ‘chamber’ when the compartment is opened. “Throughout time jewelry conveyed sentiments through hidden messages and that concept provided a stepping stone for this series of rings. The fact that these rings acts as a locket only further emphasizes their special meaning. Lockets were used to store tokens of love, loss and keep sacred those parts of us we want to keep close but might not want to reveal.” Thea explains.
The Nightingale
“In this version, the chamber opens to reveal the cage from which the nightingale escaped. There are five white diamonds scattered throughout the design. The Nightingale was inspired by the symbolism of plumage and the magic and mystery of flight The bird escaping the cage signifies freedom, joy, and spirit. In Emily Dickinson’s immortalized words, ‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers/ that perches in the soul.’”
- Nightingale ring in 18K yellow gold
- Nightingale in 18k Rose gold
The Snake in the Grass.
“This ring is to remind the wearer of the dangers that can be hidden within beauty. The ring’s top and shank are engraved with ghost orchids and this designs opens to uncover locket engraved serpent motif. There are five black diamonds places around the engravings of the ring, further emphasizing the coexistence of dark and light.”
- Snake in the Grass in 18K yellow gold
- Snake in the Grass in 18K rose gold
The Beacon.
“This is our latest design in the series. The top and shank are engraved with clouds, stars, and a crescent moon, which slides open to feature an engraving of the North Star. There are five rainbow sapphires scattered throughout the design. This ring represents and provides hope and guidance for the wearer, like a beacon in the night.”
- The Beacon in 18K white gold
- The Beacon in 18K yellow gold
Th Conservatory rings are crafted in 18K yellow, rose and white gold and engraved with the imagery that characterizes each rings tale. They all retail for $3280.
