< Culture & Style / Jewelry Trends
Personalization at Your Fingertips: Discover the Diamond Initial Ring
From Marie Antoinette to Missy Elliott, the diamond initial ring has put the power of personalization in the hands of the wearer for generations. Now, stars like Kylie Jenner, Sabrina Carpenter, Hailey Bieber, and Selena Gomez are picking up the mantle.
Sophie Bille Brahe’s Lettre de Lumière collection includes natural diamond initial rings, rendered in the designer’s own handwriting. (Courtesy of Sophie Bille Brahe)
Whether it’s self-referential or sentimental, the diamond initial ring is one of the best ways to personalize your jewelry. If you opt to wear your own initial inscribed in diamonds, or a loved one’s, the initial ring puts an intimate symbolism right in the palm of your hand.
Danish jewelry designer Sophie Bille Brahe has rendered the entire alphabet in her collection, “Lettre de Lumière.” Adapted from her own handwriting, Bille Brahe found inspiration in Danish poet Inger Christensen’s renowned work “Alphabet,” which uses the structure of the Fibonacci sequence and the Latin alphabet in the book-length poem.
Meet the Expert
Born in Copenhagen, fine jewelry designer Sophie Bille Brahe trained in the traditional ways as a goldsmith and graduated from London’s Royal College of Arts with her master’s degree before returning to Copenhagen in 2011 to establish her eponymous jewelry line, which is sold in some of the world’s most esteemed luxury and fine jewellery spaces and stores, from Dover Street Market to Bergdorf Goodman.
Bille Brahe tells Only Natural Diamonds, “Lettre de Lumière is about expressing a personal connection with just one letter. It becomes a symbol you carry every day, representing someone important to you. The meaning really comes from the wearer. Many choose the initials of loved ones, and I love that the story becomes completely individual and defined by their choice.”
One Designer’s Unique Take on the Diamond Initial Ring
Designer Sophie Bille Brahe has put her own whimsical twist on the diamond initial ring. Letters are gracefully spelled out in swirling natural diamond rings, uniquely rendered from her own handwriting. The collection, dubbed “Lettre de Lumière” translates to “Letters of Light.”
“I have always been interested in classic motifs and reinterpreting them in my own way,” says the Copenhagen-based designer. “The idea of the family signet ring was very interesting to me, and I wanted to give it a modern twist. I grew up surrounded by heirlooms carrying history and emotional value, and I have always liked the concept of wearing a ring that symbolizes your family and your history, but somehow, the existing ones never spoke to me.”
Traditional signet rings typically feature a slightly domed or flat surface engraved with a design, like a family crest or monogram. That surface is the actual signet, which, in ancient and classical times, was used as a seal in lieu of a signature. It was often pressed into wax or ink to give authentication to an official document. While classic signet rings may be a timeless jewelry staple, Bille Brahe spins tradition on its head with her initial rings, adding a fun-loving, youthful spirit.
“I started drawing and writing letters, and from there, from my handwriting, I designed the collection,” she explains. “I created a signet ring that I would wear. It’s very elegant and modern. It allows me to wear the names of the ones I love, knowing that I will be able to pass them on to the next generation.” Wanting her own personal alphabet, Bille Brahe ensured that no two letters felt too similar or restricted to a singular style.
“There’s a mix of upper- and lowercase letters, each shaped to look its best. I think that gives the collection character and individuality,” she says. Making the diamonds appear to dance for a perfectly ergonomic design, Bille Brahe incorporated graduated stones to “create a sense of flow and movement across the hand.”
The History of the Initial Ring
Signet rings were some of the earliest iterations of the initial ring. They can be traced as far back as 3500 BC in ancient Mesopotamia, where they used cylindrical seals as marks of authenticity.
The ancient Egyptians made some of the first signet rings as we know them today, engraved with hieroglyphics. In ancient Rome, senators wore signet rings on their pinky finger to impress their seals in the hot wax for important messages and documents. After all, the word signet comes from the Latin signum, meaning “sign.”
Signet rings became even more crucial in the fourteenth century when King Edward II decreed that all legal documents must be signed with the King’s signet ring. Signet-style rings from this time period were destroyed after the owner’s death to avoid forgery.
By the 18th century, Marie Antoinette got in on the action, commissioning a monogrammed ring, emblazoned with her initials “M” and “A” overlapping in diamonds. The ring even contained a lock of her hair. The rare jewelry went on auction in 2018, selling for $443,786, a whopping 50 times over its estimate.
Though styles change throughout history, the initial ring has remained a source of individualism and power. By the 1990s, pop culture saw the Hip-Hop scene adopt the timeless style in the form of nameplate rings. LL Cool J became known for his iconic four-finger gold ring that spelled out his given name, James, along with his audacious diamond-embellished “Cool J” ring.
The early-aughts saw stars like Missy Elliott and Beyoncé sport the diamond initial ring. During her short fling with Good Charlotte rocker Benji Madden in 2008, Paris Hilton even wore a substantial diamond “BM” initial ring. Now, stars like Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, and Selena Gomez are putting their own stamp on the modern diamond initial ring.
Kylie Jenner’s Diamond “K” and “J” Initial Rings
Kylie Jenner has made her return as “King Kylie,” reviving her style era of 2016, with a new self-referential makeup collection in honor of Kylie Cosmetics’ 10th anniversary. This October, the makeup mogul threw a celebratory bash, gathering friends and family to celebrate the beauty line’s decade in business.
In line with the “King Kylie” aesthetic, the star wore two massive diamond initial rings, created by XIV Karats. She wore a giant diamond “K” ring on her middle finger and another huge diamond “J” ring on her pointer finger. Crafted with over 1,400 natural diamonds, the custom rings are estimated to have cost $20,000 each.
Hailey Bieber’s Sentimental Take on the Diamond Initial Ring
Hailey Bieber is the queen on monogrammed diamond jewelry. The Rhode beauty founder’s jewelry box is filled with countless diamond necklaces and rings carrying the initials of her name, her husband’s, or her son’s.
Back before Bieber became a mother, she was known to wear a diamond “JB” ring on her middle finger, in honor of her husband, Justin Bieber. Then, she collaborated with New York–based jeweler Alex Moss to create a bubble letter “J” ring, after the two already successfully worked together on her diamond “B” bubble letter pendant necklace.
Most recently, the star has been seen sporting a new initial ring by luxury jewelry Isa Grutman. Worn on her middle finger, the new diamond ring features Jack Blues Bieber’s initials, “JBB.”
Selena Gomez’s Diamond “B” Initial Ring is an Ode to Benny Blanco
Before she was flaunting her marquise-cut diamond engagement ring from her now husband, Benny Blanco, Selena Gomez used to sport a wrap-style “B” initial ring, covered in .44 carats of pavé diamonds from Jacquie Aiche. Gomez debuted the custom ring shortly after confirming her relationship with the music producer in 2023.
Earlier this year, the pop star sold some of her personal items ahead of the release of her album, I Said I Love You First, which she collaborated on with Blanco. “Since my new album with Benny is about our past, present, and future, I thought it would be fun to give away some ‘rare’ memories I’ve kept over the years,” Gomez posted on Instagram. While the ring’s original price tag boasted approximately $3,250, the Rare Beauty founder quickly sold the sentimental jewel to an adoring fan for just $12. According to a description of the ring on Gomez’s official website, she wrote, “It felt fitting to choose something that is a symbol of the start of our relationship.”
Shop Diamond Initial Rings
Sophie Bille Brahe Yellow Gold and Diamond Ensemble ‘R’ Ring, $12,100, harrods.com
FOUNDRAE Lovestruck Pierced Custom Diamond Initial Ring, $6,100, foundrae.com
Stephanie Gottlieb Poppy Enamel And Diamond Initial Cigar Band, $2,556, stephaniegottlieb.com
Gabriel and Co. 14K Yellow Gold Diamond Bujukan Initial A Signet Ring, $2,450, gabrielny.com
Isa Grutman Custom Initial Ring, $2,220, isagrutman.com
Mateo 14kt Diamond Frame Secret Initial Ring, $3,250, mateonewyork.com
Gabriel & Co. 14K Yellow Gold Pave Diamond Uppercase A Initial Ring, $800, gabrielny.com
David Yurman DY INITIAL PINKY RING 18K Yellow Gold with Diamond A, $1,950, davidyurman.com
