Earlier this week, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry addressed the UN during a celebration of Nelson Mandela. Paparazzi photos show Markle in a stunning outfit, complete with a piece of jewelry that holds a deeper meaning than meets the eye.
Markle’s Special Spiral Pinky Ring
Markle wore a black, knee-length dress accessorized with black stilettos and a brown purse. The duchess also sported two diamond rings that fans noticed she has been wearing since April of this year.
The pair of spiral rings were designed by Shiffon Co., a female-founded jewelry company led by Shilpa Yarlagadda. She started Shiffon Co. in 2017 while still in college, hoping to close the gender gap.
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Shiffon Co.’s name is a nod to that desire to change things. It’s a play on “chiffon,” a fabric that Yarlagadda and her mother love, but it also represents the phrase “shift is on.” This commitment to changing things is reflected in the company’s mission to “create the shift for women’s equality,” Yarlagadda explained.
Jewelry Designer Says Ring Represents ‘Pinky Promise To…Support Women’
The spiral pinky ring that Markle wears is one of the first pieces of jewelry Yarlagadda designed, and there’s a special meaning behind it. The ring’s unique spiral design came about when the jewelry designer was looking for a ring, but was unsure of what size she would wear. The spiral design makes the ring adjustable, so the wearer doesn’t need to know their exact ring size before purchasing.
“The first thing we created was this adjustable pinky ring that represented this pinky promise to pay it forward and support women,” Yarlagadda explained. That commitment to paying it forward is carried throughout the company.
How Shiffon Co. Pays It Forward
“We really instilled [mentorship] in the ring because 50% of profits are funding seed grants for female founders for companies that empower women,” Yarlagadda said. In addition to giving 50% of profits from the pinky ring to female entrepreneurs, Shiffon Co. has just launched another ring.
This new ring will donate 19.72% of the profits to the company’s Women in Sports Investment fund, in honor of the 50th anniversary of Title IX, which was passed in 1972. Markle isn’t the only big name who has supported Shiffon Co. jewelry. Other influential women who sport the jewelry line include Michelle Obama, Malala Yousafzai, Hailey Bieber, Serena Williams, and Amanda Gorman.
It makes perfect sense that Markle would wear the special spiral ring, as she has frequently spoken about the need to close the wage gap and discussed women’s issues in the workplace. The spiral ring is a nice nod to her ongoing commitment to service in this area.
