FANCY SOME ICE CREAM? SPUMONI RING BY NICHOLAS VARNEY
The only thing that ultimately matters is to eat an ice-cream cone, play a slide trombone, plant a small tree, good God, now you're free.
Ray Manzarek, American keyboardist; member of The Doors
Did you know that scooping spumoni – molded Italian ice cream delight, a colorful fusion of flavors and traditions – is considered bad manners? Unlike regular ice cream, it should always be sliced, not scooped, to showcase its beautiful, layered structure.
Thought to have originated in Naples, Italy, in the 19th century, spumoni's journey began with a simple yet inventive concept: combining layers of different colors and tastes. Taditionally it features three main flavors – cherry, pistachio, and chocolate or vanilla – with a candied fruit and nut layer that typically contains cherry bits, creating the signature red/pink, green, and brown color combination that is as much a visual treat as it is a culinary one.
If I had my life to live over, I would eat more ice cream and less spinach. I would have more actual troubles and fewer imaginary troubles.
Don Herold, American humorist, writer and cartoonist
This dessert even has its own day in the calendar of celebrations: National Spumoni Day, celebrated on August 21 in the United States and November 13 in Canada, it is now more commonly consumed and enjoyed in the United States, Argentina and Brazil than in Naples.
Forget art. Put your trust in ice cream.
Charles Baxter, American novelist, essayist, and poet
The colorful and fun essence of spumoni has been translated into a delightful ring by Nicholas Varney – a remarkable jewelry artist, inspired by nature and the organic -who skilfully blends precious metals, rare pearls, and colorful gemstones with unconventional materials such as wood and coral for a whimsical, bold, unexpected aesthetic and beauty.
Warm, earthy agate, backed with coral to bring out its brownish undertones, contrasted with minty tourmaline – these layers, shapes, scoops, slices and bursts of colors combine to produce a unique and joyous jewelry creation.
