A Decade of Love and Growth: Designing My New Enclose Ring

After my husband, Evan, proposed to me with a sketch pad, my journey in designing bridal jewelry began. I started with our patented slide ring - the external piece of our interlocking ring sets. The slide ring became a foundation to build. Now, more than ten years later, I was ready to design a new engagement ring to go with my set to represent the growth and strength these first ten years have brought.

The Yin and Yang of Evan and I are representative of our relationship, opposites that sync together. Ten years! It takes effort, hubris, laughter, and forgiveness to last in partnership. I've evolved since August 2, 2012, yet some core aspects remain. It took me over a year to design my original ring, and I completed it days before our wedding day. While my original ring, featuring a four-directions oval Garnet by master lapidary artist Larry Woods, took over a year to design, this time around, the journey for my new creation (still awaiting its name, please bear with me!) began over a year ago, culminating just days before our 11th anniversary.

The upcoming decade is marked by deliberate intention in our personal bond and my business endeavors. Crafted from 14k Fairmined Gold, meticulously set by hand in New York City by our master goldsmith Csanad, and adorned with a custom-cut Pear Sun Made Diamond and white Australian Lightning Ridge Opal, my new ring embodies the essence of my relationship with Evan and our daughter, Soa.
This new ring represents much of what I have grown to love about my relationship with Evan and our daughter Soa. We live in constant motion- hence the stones are set at an angle. We align with one another yet also thrive on our own. We fit like the slide ring element that connects all the parts. And as the original design intended, my body holds the ring together—a subtle daily reminder of my choice to enjoy being in this partnership.

My new ring has once again been one of the most challenging designs I have created. I took significant risks; the shapes in the curves of the ring were new to me. The exploration of the setting with a partial bezel and single prong took more than ten iterations to get just right.

I am excited to wear this ring each day. But I have a secret to share! It -was- designed with an additional third ring. The third ring had one more stone intended to represent Soa, but the design failed. In the end, it did not fit and land cohesively. These aspects of the design's composition made it a challenge to create. At the same time, this is what I love about designing one-of-a-kind pieces for my clients. I love to push the boundaries of the craft, even if they only sometimes work.

I realized that this design and our lives continue to be a work in progress, constantly changing and evolving, just like these rings. There is always more to come. I am so happy with the three rings that I have. And excited to share them and their meanings with you.

I look forward to making versions of this ring for my collectors and exploring these ideas relating to how we grow.