The «Irkutsk Synagogue» ring series is based on the stylization of the architectural elements of the Irkutsk Synagogue, built between 1879 and 1882. The rings adhere to the traditions of wedding bands characteristic of Jewish communities in Europe and Russia from the first half of the 14th to the middle of the 20th century. Such rings were crafted to resemble stylized architectural elements of various buildings and symbolized the destroyed Temple in Jerusalem. The inner band of both rings features the Hebrew inscription «Mazal Tov, ” a traditional blessing for newlyweds common to all rings of this type from the 14th to the 20th centuries. Along the four sides of the decorative frieze on the smaller ring, a fragment of a quote from the 7th wedding blessing, „Sheva Brachot,“ is reproduced in Hebrew. The translation reads: „The voice of joy and the voice of merriment: the rejoicing of the bridegroom and the rejoicing of the bride“ (Tanakh. Book of the Prophets, Jeremiah 33:11). Such inscriptions were typical of Jewish wedding rings from the late 19th to the early 20th centuries. Materials: silver, cold enamel; Techniques: 3D modeling, 3D printing, casting, soldering; Dimensions of the large ring: 5,5×3,3×3.3; weight 48 gr. Dimensions of the small ring: 3,5×2 x 1.5; weight 21 gr.
The rings were created by the creative team of the Department of Jewelry Design and Technology at Irkutsk National Research Technical University (IRNTU): Valeria Shafirova, Elena Berman, Alena Voytyuk, Vera Sorokina, Dmitry Temnikov, and Elena Pavlova. The synagogue drawing by Elena Pavlova. Year of creation: 2022.
