It is said that lace was invented as a reaction to the desire to make clothes more attractive and replace embroidery in an effort t to transform the style of dress at the time. It is a patterned fabric detailed with open holes that dates as far back as 15th century Europe, when it was used predominately by the Catholic Church.
In its rich history, we can see why lace was the inspiration for Verragio’s latest line; The Venetian Collection. Always on the forefront of innovation, Verragio keeps striving to reinvent something as classic as the engagement ring.
“The inspiration was really the idea of beautiful, elegant lacework. Lines that flow and are not so rigid,” said Owner and Designer, Barry Verragio. “Why stop at the top of the ring when you can continue that design all the way to bottom of the shank?”
Although the more modern technique of lace weaving was believed to be invented in Flanders, (now between Belgium and France), it became much more widespread in Italian cities during the 16th century. Due to trade in the Mediterranean, Italy was quite wealthy at the time, and was able to afford the production and manufacturing of lace, which was originally made with silk, gold, or silver threads.
Today, lace is woven from cotton and synthetic materials, but it is the decadence of the ancient Italian lace that is recreated in Verragio’s Venetian engagement rings. The curvature and bends of the precious metals used in the engagement rings are meant to mimic the woven fluidity of silk. The beading used to compliment the style is meant to inspire an antique feel, and the combination of the two creates a thoroughly different and modern ring design.
“I wanted to truly design a ring that gives the consumer something unique,” Verragio said. “It’s something that she can customize and really call her own.”
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| VENETIAN-5005R by VERRAGIO |
The beauty of this latest collection is that, much like when lace was used to individualize fashion, you can show your own unique style by customizing your engagement ring. The Venetian collection allows you to choose from five different shanks, so you can mix and match to suit your desires, from the more sedate “Classic,” to the more ornate “Lace” style, (with Centro, Euro, and Lido in between.)
Lace has always been featured heavily at weddings, from the bridal veil, to the gowns, and even the tablecloths, and now you can get that same romantic feel and old-world elegance for your engagement ring when you choose from Verragio’s Venetian Collection.
“As always,” Verragio said. “Our goal was to give the consumer a ring unlike any other.”