The ring, a 2014 piece by London-based jewelry designer Glenn Spiro, features wings made of titanium filled with green tsavorites and with diamonds around their edges. According to the Guardian, it was a gift from her husband, rapper Jay-Z, who also took a pair of photographs of Beyoncé wearing the ornate accessory. The ring is now on view in the London museum’s William and Judith Bollinger Gallery, which showcases the history of jewelry from Ancient Greece to today through some 3,000 choice pieces from the V&A’s unparalleled collection.
“Beyoncé is a figure whose personal style the V&A is proud to represent, and a gift from whose personal collection we are honored to receive,” Clare Phillips, the V&A’s jewelry curator, said in a statement. “The papillon ring she has gifted is an exquisite example of contemporary jewelry design by one of Britain’s master jewelers.”
Beyoncé wearing the ‘Papillon’ ring designed by Glenn Spiro (photo by Jay-Z)
‘Papillon’ ring designed by Glenn Spiro (© Victoria and Albert Museum, London)
‘Papillon’ ring designed by Glenn Spiro (© Victoria and Albert Museum, London)