Rings

A ring is the most symbolic of all jewellery pieces. It is a sign of love, a token of commitment, a public display of personal heritage. It signifies hieratical positioning in the Catholic Church and gratitude from the father to mother for the safe birth of their child. They can also be bloody good fun, as fake as you wish and worn with glee on any finger you like (except the thumb, unless you are Phoebe from Friends).

If you have small-boned fingers, you are unable to take anything too bold. Your partner or prospective fiancé will be thrilled that his diamond doesn't have to compete with that of Elizabeth Taylor. You, on the other hand, will be gutted that your finger will not be sporting a stone the size of an ice rink.

There is an upside, however, because your fingers are beautifully suited to more delicate antique pieces that involve much more craftsmanship and thoughtful design.

The chances are your ring will be more original than that of dear Lizzie.

If your knuckles and joints could black out Lennox Lewis without gloves in the first round, you can think big. Your true love will have to compete with Richard Burton, and size, in this instance, matters.

The upside here is that your fingers can carry off wonderful costume jewellery that may cost next to nothing but still be real dazzlers. Large hands look a little more fragile when burdened by a big ring.

Nowadays any stone goes at any time of day, but too many rings on a finger detract from their individual beauty, and a ring on every finger is exceptionally tacky. One stunner is better than eight mediocre bands.