Designing Lunar Rain Gold Fish Rings
Designing Lunar Rain Gold Fish Rings by George Collins.
Our most popular ring designs at Lunar Rain are our Swimming Herring Fish rings and our Kissing Herrings Fish rings. Since their creation, our fish rings have become well known worldwide for their beauty, simplicity and wearability. Both of these rings were designed by Melissa Chen in 2019, after she graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2018. These fish ring designs are based on the original Herring Earrings design that Melissa created in February 2018, while she was studying at the Royal College of Art in London.
The visual characteristics of the herring fish were thoughtfully abstracted and arranged by Melissa into it’s final form as jewellery. The swoop of the fish’s lip became a curved teardrop with an indented line in the center. The eyes became simple round protruding circles with an indented dots in the center. The entire design is succinctly abstracted as natural details became raised protrusions or indented lines. By indenting select scales and lines on the fins and tail, designer Melissa Chen avoided a common pitfall of jewelry design; the mistake of trying to depict too many details in miniature. Instead, each detail is only rendered where necessary. The resulting design has no superfluous details and becomes both symbolic and iconic in it’s simplicity.
Our herring fish rings, necklaces and earrings are the core of our Full Fathom Five Collection. Melissa became enamoured by herring fish after moving to the east coast of Vancouver Island in 2016. Every spring, fishermen and sea lions gather along the coast of Vancouver Island where they hunt for shoals of herring. Many tons of herring are caught during herring fishing season as the herring spawn and turn the shorelines into a milky shade of turquoise. More info about the annual herring run can be found here: canadiangeographic.ca/articles/documenting-the-herring-run
Designer Melissa Chen considers the song “Shoals of Herring” sung by Oscar Isaac to be the soundtrack to her herring fish jewellery designs. This version of the song is from the 2013 movie Inside Llewyn Davis, directed by the Coen brothers.
One of the reasons why our fish rings are popular is because the fish is a universally positive symbol appearing across various cultures, religions, and philosophies. Its meaning varies, but there are several common themes that help explain why fish have such symbolic importance.
Symbolism in different cultures:
In many ancient cultures, the fish is a symbol of fertility and abundance. Its ability to reproduce in great numbers and its association with water (a life-giving force) makes it a symbol of life and nourishment.
In Greek and Roman mythology, the fish were often linked to deities associated with water, fertility, and agriculture. The Greek goddess Aphrodite, for example, was sometimes depicted with fish, emphasizing their connection to the life-giving and sustaining power of water.
Eastern cultures also associate fish with prosperity. In Chinese culture, the carp is a symbol of success and good luck, particularly the koi fish, which represents perseverance and the eventual attainment of great things.
The koi fish is highly symbolic in Japan, where it represents perseverance, strength, and the ability to overcome obstacles. The koi’s struggle to swim upstream and eventually transform into a dragon is a powerful metaphor for personal growth and transformation.
In the story of the Norse gods, Odin transformed into a fish to avoid being caught by a giant. This transformation speaks to the fish’s association with escape, elusiveness, and adaptability.
In some Native American cultures, the fish is seen as a symbol of abundance and survival, as many Native American tribes relied on fish as a primary source of sustenance. The fish, particularly the salmon, is also seen as a spiritual guide in some traditions, representing returning to one’s roots and cycles of life.
Other symbolic meanings:
In some cultures, fish are believed to protect against evil or bad fortune. For example, medieval Christianity sometimes used the fish to symbolize protection from sin or evil influences. Fish are often linked with the idea of freedom, since they swim effortlessly through water, unbound by the constraints that land animals face. This makes the fish a symbol of liberation, ease, and the flow of life.
The Pisces zodiac sign, represented by two fish swimming in opposite directions, is often seen as embodying duality, emotional depth, intuition, and a connection to the spiritual or subconscious realms.
Religious Christian symbolism:
The fish (often depicted as the Ichthys symbol, a simple fish shape) became an early Christian symbol. In Greek, the word Ichthys (ἰχθύς) is an acronym for “Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior” (Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς, Θεοῦ Υἱὸς, Σωτήρ). This symbol was used by early Christians as a secret sign to identify each other, especially during times of persecution.
The fish is also associated with baptism because of its connection to water, which is central to Christian sacramental rituals.
The fish is a symbol that holds meanings ranging from fertility, abundance, and life-giving nourishment to spiritual transformation, protection, and freedom. Its symbolism is deeply intertwined with the element of water, making it a universal emblem of both material and spiritual sustenance across many cultures and traditions.
Lunar Rain is a Canadian jewellery and art brand based in Vancouver, Canada. We ship worldwide and specialize in making fine jewellery and art inspired by nature.
Shop our work at LunarRain.com
We currently have 5 collections:
Full Fathom Five – A collection inspired by sunken treasure and the sea.
Earthly Delights – Fantastical jewels inspired by nature, food and other earthly pleasures.
Gothic Romance – Jewellery inspired by gothic art, fashion and literature.
Celestial Dreams – Jewellery inspired by the stars and galaxies above and heavenly deities.
All The Devils Are Here – A darker collection inspired by witchcraft, hell, monsters and memento mori jewellery.
