Cubist Tulip RingOctober 2013 Sterling silver, cubic zirconia Normally when I'm working on a pieceespecially when it's a custom piece for a clientI start with a story and and work towards a design that tells it. Sometimes, however, the process creates its own story. I came across my rounded square ring mandrel while cleaning my studio one day and lamented that I don't use it enough. Naturally, this inspired me to find a use for itand, as one does in a situation like

she made it clear that she had no intention of wearing an engagement ring—which is of course a perplexing statement to make to a goldsmith

The entire thing measures two feet from the bottom of the base to the tip of the flame

thanks to a lesson beaten into me by my high school jewelry teacher

and that the ring should be a claddagh

Shortly after we got together while we were both living in Washington DC

the god of prophecy and light

the grooves in the ring align with the positions and angles where the roads enter the circle on the map

and the high-set diamond kept hitting the keys when she played

is the leader of the pantheon of deities

Mars (Greek name: Ares)

" and the name of the country itself reflects its agrarian roots and is derived from the Polish word for "field

but that makes this design that much more interesting