Class rings are apparently still a thing. And with a new school year kicking off this way and that way, high school and college students may have begun thinking about ordering theirs. Because wearing jewelry is never canceled.
And students who want their ring to feel current, chic, and as far from a 1950s movie as it gets now have a great new option to consider: Balfour, a leading retailer of class jewelry via its website and on-campus activations, just released a new collection designed in partnership with jewelry powerhouse Kendra Scott.
The collection consists of eight new ring styles—including two styles designed especially for men. Students can choose from 18 stone colors and 13 different metal types.
In addition to the new men’s styles, the collection also includes pendant styles for moms and teachers. These can be worn as daily reminders of the important work they are doing at home, in the classroom, on-screen, and off-line.
Each piece features personalization options from stone incising and side-shank imagery to inside or palm-side engraving.
“Balfour is focused on reinventing tradition, and this partnership accomplishes exactly that,” Scott Blevins, senior vice president at Balfour, stated in the official announcement.
As for the Kendra Scott brand, it’s the first time it has partnered with a class jewelry brand, an endeavor that couldn’t be more relevant to its target audience: The brand has a college ambassador program called Gems inclusive of more than 90 students across 80 campuses nationwide who are handpicked to participate in a variety of initiatives throughout the school year, including community charity events and product development focus groups.
“By pairing Balfour’s commitment to tradition with our take on trend and customization, I believe this collection offers seniors a fresh, exciting way to celebrate when they need it most,” Scott said in a statement.
And while Scott mentioned seniors, traditions can vary by region and school. Junior year is also a good time to order class jewelry. In high school, you have made the varsity team by then or have found your niche in the drama or French club, and as such can find ways to work these pursuits into the customization of your ring’s design. And in your junior year of college, you’ve declared your major and hopefully have a good idea as to whether you will graduate on time. (This was a matter of constant concern for many of my classmates at Vassar.)
The collection is launching with a gift with purchase program (one of three Kendra Scott necklaces) that will be available for a limited time.
I had a high school ring that I now need to find at my mom’s house and didn’t get a college ring, so this may be something that happens in the present day:
Because unlike my classmates (sorry, guys), I was never too cool for school.
Top: The Kendra Scott collection by Balfour will be licensed at more than 500 colleges and universities, and new schools are being added online daily. Prices from $198 each.
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