Finger Ring

sterling silver, raw rose quartz 4 x 2.7 x 1.9 cm 2017

Finger Ring was an experimentation with wax and stone setting. I wanted to play with the techniques I was learning and create something unique. While I love classic stone settings, I wanted to make something nontraditional and memorable.

Conceptually, this ring is about clinging to lost and dying relationships: friends grown apart, partners turned strangers, family left behind. Rose quartz is the stone of all forms of love, and the hand clutches the stone gently but securely.

This band began as a plain wax ring blank. It was sized and large parts were removed with a jewelry saw. The fingers were created by heating and molding sprue wax. When originally formed, the fingers stood straight up for easier casting. I sprued, invested, and placed the piece in the kiln, and it was cast in sterling silver the following day. The surface was refined with files, sandpaper, and steel wool. A raw rose quartz was placed in the center, and the fingers were hammered down to secure it.