Put Your Cell Phone Away, Wear This Ring Instead

Nothing kills the mood quite like a cell phone at dinner. In any given restaurant you're bound to see those shiny little devices sitting on the tables. Ringly, a different kind of wearable technology brand that launched last summer, hopes to change that.

The company sells, you guessed it, rings. Made from semi-precious stones, they're really quite beautiful. But Ringly is more than just good looks: the ring connects to your cell phone through an app to alert you of messages, calls, tweets and more coming from your phone using a vibration pattern. Users are able to customize their rings to only receive certain alerts or calls.

The brand recently received $5.1 million in funding to expand to even more wearables and is slated to be available on Bloomingdales online come March. Ringly differs from other wearable tech options in that it was born out of a totally different desire. CEO Christina Mercando said she was tired of wearing jewelry that just sat there.

"It started when I noticed everyone always had their phones out at dinner. We are always so worried about missing something. I wondered if there was a way to solve this, and quickly thought of jewelry. I wear a lot of jewelry that doesn't do anything, so I thought maybe there was a way to put some technology in there to make it smarter," Mercando told HuffPost Style.

In a world filled with Fitbits and other devices, Ringly finds its niche by appealing to customers who love fine jewelry. "For the first time we're seeing a wearable that targets a certain market and demographic," Mercando said, adding, "I foresee different companies offering products for a variety of lifestyles. You might wear a heart rate monitor shirt at the gym, or Ringly at a cocktail party. If we look at the space more like clothing, there is a lot of room for many different wearables to grow."

In addition to the product's aesthetic, there is a clever reason Ringly items are made using semi-precious stones. Mercando said, "Semi-precious stones have a natural quality to them, and I think it's a really interesting juxtaposition to combine the natural with the technology."

Head to Ringly to shop.