Designers Display New Handiwork with Fresh Chains, Cuffs and Rings

Jacquie Aiche

Jacquie Aiche Jewelry

Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York City Ballet Gala

Sarah Jessica Parker at the New York City Ballet Gala

Long ago, there were rings, and they were good. There were also bracelets, and they were also good. Today, good doesn’t cut it sometimes. Instead of relegating themselves to wrists and third knuckles alone, a new wave of jewelry designers are embracing palms, first knuckles and more. Adornment is now limited only by your imagination — you can bling up any part of your body, it seems — but we’ve got to give these new designs a, ahem, hand.

Sarah Jessica Parker was spotted at the New York City Ballet Gala because she had some major arm candy. Designer Prabal Gurung aside, who did indeed look handsome and designed her pink and nude ball gown for the night, all eyes were on SJP’s hands, which were sparkling with an assortment of palm cuffs, rings and more.

“I think the attraction is that it is slim and easy to wear, yet it’s intriguing since it adorns a new part of the hand and wrist,” said Dana Lorenz, who designed SJP’s palm cuffs. “It is a total conversation piece.”

Fallon palm cuff

Fallon palm cuff

While SJP stacked four pavé palm cuffs together for her look (in addition to traditional rings and knuckle rings), you can snag a more subtle and subversive look with the Fallon palm cuff ($160) accented with punky pyramid spikes. Unlike knuckle rings and ear cuffs, a palm cuff won’t fall of with some overzealous gesticulation or an extra-sassy flip of your hair. They’re even keyboard-friendly, which is more than we can say for some run-of-the-mill bangles, no matter how chic they look (ahem, Hermès CDC). Stack a hand full of these babies to get SJP’s pretty in punk look or go with just one to give it the full attention it deserves. Whatever your usual arm party consists of, we’ve found one more guest you’ll want to add to the list.

Jacquie Aiche nail rings

Jacquie Aiche nail rings

Chanel nail rings, fall/winter 2013

Chanel nail rings, fall/winter 2013

Nail rings, or knuckle rings, depending on just how far down you want to wear them, are a more delicate way to embellish your fingers, though the way they were shown on Karl Lagerfeld’s Chanel Fall 2013 runway were anything but dainty. He stacked five rings down the finger, going from traditional to edgy the higher he went, ending with one clamped tight around each model’s perfectly manicured Peter Phillips-painted nail. Get the same look with Beverly Hills-based designer Jacquie Aiche’s nail rings, which come closed (much like a traditional ring) to wear down on your knuckle or open, so you can gently squeeze it right over your nail. Her popular Waif ring (starting at $78), which is done in multiple metals and boasts a boho-cool hammered finish, is perfect for stacking and doubling up. Pair it with a few of her other popular pieces, which include rings with cat ears, expletives and monograms, and you’ll be set to rub elbows — you wouldn’t want one of your rings to fall of in a handshake, right? — with the flashbulb set.

Jacquie Aiche finger bracelet

Jacquie Aiche finger bracelet

A more popular way to blend rings and bracelets is with a hand chain. We already know designer Rachel Roy is a fan, but she’s not the only one wearing one or two hand chains together with her usual suite of jewels (We’ve even spotted a few anklet-toe-ring combo chains, but let’s not go too far with that. Sandal season is definitely over, right?) Aiche also designs delicate chains, which she calls finger bracelets (starting at $68) which you can wear with even your most serious outfits to give them a more feminine sensibility. available with semi-precious stones, tiny charms or just lengths of embellished chain, they’re an easy way to get your hands on a this trend.

Images courtesy Fallon, Vogue and Jacquie Aiche

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Author:Christopher Luu for Fashion Trends Daily

Christopher Luu is a Fashion Trends Daily Senior Writer and Menswear Editor.