Clearly, the history of pinky rings is tainted in (more than) questionable behaviors. But, growing up in Puerto Rico, they were just another accessory men wore, along with gold-plated chains and kitschy pendants. They were favorites of the men in my family: my dad, for example, had a thing for silver-plated ones that he wore with a horse-shaped pendant necklace, a staple of those who grew up in the heyday of salsa music in the ‘70s and ‘80s. Designer Prabal Gurung also grew up surrounded by jewelry-clad family members, especially men, which led him to be fond of pinky rings as an adult: “I don’t know why, I just like them.” During a recent interview, Gurung wore two pinky rings: an eternity ring he borrowed from his mother and a gemstone ring that used to belong to his great-grandfather’s house priest.
