Our brand began over a decade ago via the Aquarius ring that Yves and his father, Antoine created together. Today, it remains one of Yves's favorite pieces as well as the first in our new monthly curation series,
Yves Spinelli's Picks. In these pages, Yves will share his current favorites, narrate the stories behind the pieces, and provide intimate glimpses into the world of all things SK.
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AQUARIUS (2008)
"The Aquarius ring launched our brand. Months before I met Dwyer Kilcollin, and years before Spinelli Kilcollin, I created this ring that could be worn on one finger or stacked on several. I’ve worn the Aquarius almost every day for the last ten years; it will always be my favorite. I’ve written more on the history of the Aquarius here."
-Yves Spinelli
JUNO COGNAC (2015)
"The original Juno ring is based on the engagement ring that I gave Dwyer. We were on our first visit to Tokyo, and she had no idea that I was going to propose. I almost didn’t make it: I lost the ring on my first day there. I only realized this several days into our trip when I discovered that my secret travel bag was missing. After several frantic hours trying to retrace my steps around Tokyo, the ring was found, and the proposal was a-go. She said 'yes.' The Juno has great energy, obviously. The Juno Cognac is a warmer version of my original design, with large cognac diamonds set in yellow gold. It’s both chic and stunning."
-Yves Spinelli
SONNY GOLD (2014)
"Before we launched our Stellar Collection of pavé Galaxy rings, we were commissioned to design a wedding ring for our friend, Sonny. It was only the second ring that we had ever made with diamonds, and we were honored. Months later, when we were finishing our small collection to launch in Paris, I realized that we were missing a delicate diamond ring. I love the thin rose gold bands with white diamonds that we made for Sonny. Thus, we changed it slightly and created the Sonny Gold, so that hers would still be unique. I wanted to honor Sonny by naming it after her, so it is one of the only rings in the collection not named after a star constellation. It’s since become one of our most popular rings, and is still one of my favorites."
-Yves Spinelli
MERCURY (2015)
"The tri-color Raneth ring was part of our first collection from 2010. It’s always been a popular ring from the Core Collection, and I wanted a counterpart who was bolder and heavier... In a design session years later, I stacked the plain metal bands of the Capricorn ring on my finger and found the right combination: three different metal colors, all in the same thick gauge. The Mercury ring was born. It was strong, sophisticated, and perfectly unisex. I made one for myself, and it’s one of the only rings that I wear other than my Aquarius ring."
-Yves Spinelli
RANA (2017)
"When we finally perfected our single stone settings and launched the Wedding Collection, I wondered if we should also include a group of colored stones. I wanted to a create statement rings that were exciting and new. We sampled a few variations, and when I saw the Rana ring completed, I knew that we were on the right course. The Rana’s mix of blue sapphires, tanzanites, and white diamonds in yellow gold is soothing, and the bezel-set aquamarine is vibrant. I keep staring at this elegant ring whenever I see it. The Rana makes me happy."
-Yves Spinelli
MIRA (2017)
"The Mira ring is another favorite from the Astral Collection. The morganite in mixed yellow and rose gold is soft and subtle, while the pavé white diamonds make it luxurious. Our architectural compass prong setting is a contemporary way to showcase a center stone like the morganite."
-Yves Spinelli
VIRGO (2010)
"We only had about ten rings in our first collection, and most of them were too thin for my thick fingers. I wore the five-band Aquarius ring across three fingers of my right hand, and I wore the three-band Hydra ring on my left hand. I designed the Virgo as a pinky ring to complete the lineup so that I wore a ring on almost every finger (much to Dwyer’s dismay). The Virgo ring is one of my favorite versatile rings; it has become a popular choice for men. It’s simple and strident, and the two connectors strike and perfect balance between the two thick rings."
-Yves Spinelli
LEO (2016)
"The Leo ring has been one of my favorites since it was first developed. It’s a variation of our popular Venus configuration, and I love the warm color mix of CCW diamonds and yellow gold. This was custom-designed for someone who worked on our team who was disappointed about the fact that we didn’t yet have a ring for her sign—not a surprising complaint from a Leo...I hadn’t yet found a ring worthy of such a dynamic and vital sign, and clearly this was the right one. I’ve had more than a few Leos tell me that this is their favorite ring in our collection."
-Yves Spinelli
GEMINI (2015)
"The Orion ring was the fourth Galaxy ring that we ever designed, and it’s still one of our most popular. I thought that it would be interesting to move the thicker band with annulets to the middle with the thinner bands on opposite sides. This became the Gemini ring. Each ring style has a unique personality, and one small change can produce a completely different vibe entirely. People usually favor either the Orion or the Gemini—interestingly enough, I have yet to meet someone who liked them both equally. I often switch sides, but currently I’m on team Gemini."
-Yves Spinelli
VELA PAVÉ (2013)
"The Vela Pavé ring was the first pave Galaxy ring that we ever made. Ikram Goldman, the owner of Ikram in Chicago, fell in love with my Aquarius ring, but wanted one with thinner gauges. And she insisted that it must be 'covered in diamonds.' Dwyer and I had been dying to make a ring with pave diamonds, but were nervous to invest money in a sample. Now we had a confirmed order. Dwyer wanted the diamonds to literally look like 'pavement' on the rings, and she developed a diamond mix of dark cognac, light champagne, and brilliant white that would be set at random. The diamond setter thought that we were crazy mixing these colors together, which usually means that we’re on the right path. This was the birth of the mix of diamonds that we now refer to as 'CCW'. Ikram was blown away by the ring, and told us that this would be the future of Spinelli Kilcollin. She immediately called Sally Singer at Vogue, and three weeks later we had our very first press piece, which you can read here.The Vela Pave helped launch our Stellar Collection, and it will always be one of my all-time favorites."
-Yves Spinelli
MANAVA (2018)
"It took us several years to launch a baguette diamond collection because we needed to find the perfect diamond settings. Each setting must be cut precisely to fit each individual stone of varying size, and this requires lots of skill. There are several different ways to set baguettes, so we decided to sample all options and choose our favorites. We started reviewing the band prototypes and quickly realized that mixing the settings together was definitely the way to go. We even varied the mix further by adding carré cut square diamonds. The Manava ring became an instant favorite. Combining three different settings in different gauges reminded me of the first Spinelli Kilcollin rings we designed."
-Yves Spinelli
LEHMUS (2018)
"The Lehmus ring serves as an example of the way that I initially envisioned the rings in the Ada Collection to be. The ring is timeless. It gives a nod to Art Deco elegance, while remaining bold and contemporary. It's a stunning piece that perfectly fits our Spinelli Kilcollin design credo."
RENE (2018)
"The Rene ring is more delicate and subtle than her Ada Collection sisters. She’s bolder than her Sonny Gold cousin, but still classic and chic. White diamonds set in rose gold has always been one of my favorite color combinations, and the baguettes are showcased beautifully here."
-Yves Spinelli
PETRA GRIS (2017) and PETRA ROSE (2017)
"The Petra style is a perfect bridge between our Wedding and Astral collections. The grey and black diamonds contrast the white pavé diamonds to make these rings more 'everyday.' I based the Petra on the Ceres ring because I love the balance of the two thin bands with two connectors.
The Petra Gris is cool, icy, and chic, made in white gold with only blackened prongs—enough to “pop” the white diamonds, while still showing the base of the band underneath.
The Petra Rose is for the non-conformists. A traditional jeweler once told me to never set black diamonds in rose gold, which encouraged me to start doing it. I adore the color combination, and I love this ring."
-Yves Spinelli