By Åse Anderson
From retro sweets to 80s arcade game Pac-Man, designers have taken some of our favourite childhood memorabilia and turned it into fine jewellery that will strike a cord with anyone who enjoys reminiscing about the good old days.
Cora Sheibani's Ice Cream ring conjures up memories of ice cream cones on the beach in the seemingly never-ending sunny summers of our youth. Another childhood favourite, the distinctive, round, jelly-shaped Gugelhopf cake, appears in bejewelled form in a mouth-watering Strawberries and Cream ring.
Edible delights also inspire London jeweller Tessa Packard's Fat Free collection, based around the designer's favourite pick 'n' mix sweets, from gummy fried eggs to tooth-breaking Brighton Rock.
It may lack the technical finesse and sophisticated graphics of today's video games, but those of us who grew up in the 1980s still have a soft spot for the legendary Pac-Man. The dot-eating character has been recreated in his most luxurious form yet by New York-based jeweller Parul Kuki Seth. The Pac-Man ring for her label Parulina features an exquisite combination of diamonds, blue sapphires and white coral.
Francesca Grima's Invaders collection is a romanticised interpretation in fine jewellery form of the digital images that appeared in early video games. Princess-cut pink sapphires set in 18ct yellow gold bring a feminine edge to the Invader II necklace.
Theo Fennell's Over the Rainbow ring - the latest in the London-based jeweller's collection of whimsical opening rings - plays on the Irish legend that there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The myth, which has delighted children for centuries, comes to life in this ring with a hand painted rainbow inside a rock crystal dome that opens up to reveal a miniature pot of gold. Two wooden doors on the side of the ring also open up to depict hand-enamelled village scenes.
