The Silver of Ailsa

Ayrshire, 1964 — 6:10 a.m. Ailsa Cameron worked the lighthouse on the edge of Girvan Bay — a post few women held, though she never asked permission. Her rose-handled fork sat by the stove, gleaming in the morning’s first light. “You can’t be afraid of the dark,” she’d say, “if you’re the one holding the lamp.” When her service ended, she had the fork shaped into a ring, its twisted stem now wrapped around her finger like a guiding beam. The Silver of Ailsa is a token of independence — for those who find their way by their own light. This ring is a powerful piece for both women and men.