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DesignNewswire · COMO, Italy ·

Her Decree Ring by Yutong Shen Wins the Bronze A' Design Award in Jewelry Design

Yutong Shen acknowledged for jewelry design by the international grand jury of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

COMO, Italy, April 23, 2026 /DesignNewswire/ Her Decree Ring by Yutong Shen, designed for Yelonne Chatonne, has been granted the Bronze A' Design Award in the Jewelry Design category, A' Design Award & Competition has announced. The recognition forms part of the 2025 - 2026 A' Design Award & Competition and was decided through blind peer review by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members, who scored anonymized entries against predetermined criteria.

About the Bronze A' Design Award

The Bronze A' Design Award is given to outstanding designs that showcase a high degree of creativity and practicality. It recognizes the dedication and skill of designers who produce work that stands out for its thoughtful development and innovative use of materials and technology. These designs are acknowledged for their professional execution and potential to influence industry standards positively. Winning this award highlights the designer's ability to blend form and function effectively, offering solutions that enhance people's lives and wellbeing.

Regarding Her Decree Ring

Her Decree is a ring that can also be used as a pen. The design is inspired by the quill pen, a historic symbol of knowledge and authority, reinterpreted as a contemporary expression of power. The tip incorporates an inkless alloy pen point, allowing the ring to serve as a discreet and precise signing instrument. The feather form is shaped through precision 3D modeling and produced by high-detail lost-wax casting, giving the structure both sculptural fluidity and strength. The ring represents the power of a woman to write her own destiny.

Award Record

Yutong Shen is a winner of 1 A' Design Award, including this recognition.

About the A' Jewelry Design Award

The A' Jewelry Design Award is an international jewelry design competition recognizing good jewelry designs by best jewelry designers worldwide. The competition is organized within the A' Design Award & Competition and is open to jewelry designers, jewelry brands, jewelers and goldsmiths from all countries. Entries typically include rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings, brooches and pendants. Awarded jewelry designs are published at https://dezigners.org/design-category/jewelry

About A' Design Award & Competition

A' Design Award & Competition is an international, juried design accolade organized annually since 2008. The competition is open to entries from all countries. The A' Design Award has a philanthropic mission to advance society through good design by recognizing and promoting superior products, projects and services that benefit society, and by creating a global awareness and appreciation for good design practices and principles. Entries are peer reviewed and anonymously evaluated by an international grand jury panel of established academics, design professionals and press members against predetermined criteria such as functionality, ergonomics, engineering, presentation, innovation, usability, sustainability and technology, with score normalization applied to remove biases. Awards are conferred at Platinum, Gold, Silver, Bronze and Iron levels. The A' Design Prize granted to eligible laureates includes the award trophy, the certificate of design excellence, the hardcover yearbook, a lifetime license to use the A' Design Award winner logo, exhibition of awarded works, an invitation to the gala night and award ceremony in Italy, inclusion in the World Design Rankings and Designer Rankings, and public relations and publicity services. Registration, the upload of a work and the preliminary score are free of charge, and Professional and Digital Edition laureates are not contractually obliged to pay further fees to claim the A' Design Prize. Further information is available at https://competition.adesignaward.com

Press Resources

Media Contact

Giulia Ferrari, Press Office
Designers.Org
Via Leone Leoni 32, 22100 Como, Italy
press@designers.org
+39 031 4491953

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Fact Sheet

The Work

Project
Her Decree Ring
Function
Ring
Category
Jewelry Design
Discipline
Fashion Design
Industry
Luxury and Fashion
Colors
Gainsboro, Dim Gray, Light Gray, Silver and Rosy Brown
Images
5
Client
Yelonne Chatonne

The Recognition

Laureate
Yutong Shen
Country
United States of America
Recognition
Bronze A' Design Award
Edition
2025 - 2026
Design ID
#181981

Credits

Image Credits
Yutong Shen

Design Details

Unique Properties
A ring that can write. A pen that can be worn. Inspired by the quill pen, this piece transforms a historic symbol of knowledge and authority into a contemporary expression of power. The tip incorporates an inkless alloy pen tip, allowing the ring to function as a subtle and precise signing instrument. It represents the power of a woman to define, declare, and write her own destiny.
Inspiration
This ring is inspired by the quill pen, widely used across Europe from the sixth to seventh century onward. In that era, knowledge was inseparable from divine authority and writing symbolized power and order. Reimagined as a ring, the flowing feather express grace and softness while the pen represents intellect and discernment. It embodies a balance of elegance and wisdom and symbolizes a woman writing her own power.
Research
This project investigates the historical symbolism of the quill pen as an instrument of knowledge and authority from the sixth to seventh century onward. Research focused on the relationship between writing, power structures, and gender identity in European history. Methods included historical literature review, visual analysis of royal documentation artifacts, and material experimentation through digital modeling and prototyping. The design integrates symbolic abstraction with functional innovation by incorporating an inkless writing mechanism within a wearable object. The result is a ring that reinterprets authorship as a contemporary expression of female agency and personal sovereignty.
Challenge
The primary challenge of this project was translating the symbolic meaning of the quill pen into a contemporary ring form without reducing it to literal decoration. The design required balancing sculptural elegance with structural durability. Integrating an inkless writing mechanism within a fine jewelry scale presented technical constraints related to precision, material strength, and wearability. Additional challenges included maintaining aesthetic refinement while ensuring functional reliability. These obstacles were addressed through iterative digital modeling, structural reinforcement strategies, and material testing to achieve both conceptual integrity and practical feasibility.
Realization and Technology
The ring is developed through precision 3D modeling and produced using high-detail lost-wax casting. The feather structure is digitally engineered to maintain both sculptural fluidity and structural strength.
Project Duration and Location
The project started in Dec 2025 in New york and finished in Feb 2026
Keywords
quill pen, female empowerment, wearable design, functional jewelry, symbolic design, contemporary jewelry, inkless pen

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