Swedish lifestyle company Singelringen has launched a finger ring for singles. Meaning the single ring in Swedish, Singelringen is for a burgeoning number of singles who are keen to identify one another as romantically unattached.
With sharp declines in marriage rates over the last few decades, single people are not only growing in number but also in influence.
Signs of the changes are everywhere: television programs like Friends have ushered in an age where being single is not only okay, for many it's a satisfying lifestyle choice. Internet dating is out in the open. Supermarkets built to cater to families are reinventing themselves with urban outlets serving up single-sized portions. Savvy marketers chase the single pound with specialized travel, finance, and media offerings.
"Everyone is single at sometime - so why not make the most of it?" asks Johan Wahlback of Singelringen. "It's a great time in a person's life. We should have a way of showing off, letting other people know that we're single. That's what Singelringen is all about - taking being single out of the shadows, celebrating it and sending a message."
"In this case the message is that single doesn't mean solitary, sad or sit at home alone," says Singelringen co-founder Asa Revland. "Whether you want to attract romance or friendship, it's much easier if we know someone is open to meeting new people."
Singelringen launches this month in Sweden, Denmark, the UK and the Republic of Ireland and will soon be available in the US, Japan, Thailand and throughout Europe.
Singelringen's Swedish heritage is evident in the elegant design and quality craftsmanship of the single's ring. The ring combines new and traditional materials in an outer band of light-catching turquoise acrylic melded to an inner silver band. A crescent shape cut into the acrylic allows the silver to shine through and signifies the wearer's openness to new conversations, friendships or romantic relationships. Each ring carries a unique number engraved in the silver band.