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Jewel of the Month: Lion and Hunter “Maneater” Ring

July 1, 2013 by WendyB

The Jewel of the Month for July is the third ring in my “Maneater” collection. First, I did the Frog and Prince ring. Then I did the Jonah and the Whale ring. Now I’m introducing the Lion and the Hunter. Like the other Maneater rings, it was made in three separate parts: an animal, a man hidden inside the ring’s shank (the band), and the shank itself.

lionthreepartsresize

In three pieces, before any gems were set.

In the photo below, the lion was momentarily placed on top of the shank to get an idea of how the finished piece would look, but the parts weren’t soldered together until all the gems were set.

lionunfinishedresize

I worked on the lion at the same time I was working on the whale ring. In the photo below you can see the whale, lion and the two ring shanks after many gems had been set but, again, before the pieces of the ring were permanently assembled.

maneaterrings

You can see the diamonds in the whale.

After this inspection I decided to add more stones to both the ring shanks and to the lion’s mane. Making these complicated pieces locally is important so that I can see the work-in-progress frequently and make decisions on alterations like that before it’s too late.

I ended up using 42 tsavorites totaling a quarter of a carat for the lion ring’s jungle-themed shank. There are 19 yellow diamonds in the lion’s mane, weighing a total of nine points (there are 100 points in a carat). The lion’s blue sapphire eyes weigh three points in total. Take a look at the finished ring!

lion1

Photo by SquareMoose. Click to see on my website.

This is the heaviest of the Maneater rings so far. It weighs 30.17 grams, and there are 31.1 grams in an ounce of gold, so this is very close to a full troy ounce. The shank is 18K yellow gold and the lion is 18K rose gold.

lion2

Photo by SquareMoose. Click to see on my website.

The hunter inside the shank is 18K white gold. He has two white diamonds for eyes.

Lion_Z_3__14537_std

Photo by SquareMoose. Click to see on my website.

Jennifer Heebner, senior editor of JCK Magazine, blogged about my Maneater series on Friday.  I love the way she described the rings’ hidden men:

“The hidden companions … are masterfully captured in diminutive forms, with no choice but to await viewing from wearers by way of their subservient posts: a starry-eye and suited-up prince looking for love, a quasi-cocky hunter posing with a shotgun that will never fire, and a helpless Jonah cowering in a fetal position inside the belly of his massive mammal captor.”

Wow, Jennifer, I wish I’d written that myself!

The fourth ring in the Maneater series is already underway. I plan to do eight rings — you can read Jennifer’s piece to find out why I chose that number and also to learn more about the concept behind these designs.

CLICK HERE TO READ JENNIFER’S FULL POST AT JCK ONLINE.

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Filed Under: jewel of the month, maneater collection, my designs, Press, rings

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. déjà pseu says

    July 1, 2013 at 1:07 pm

    Wow, that’s fantastic!!! I love the concept and execution of your “maneater” series!

    • WendyB says

      July 1, 2013 at 8:25 pm

      Thanks, Susan!

  2. Susan Partlan says

    July 1, 2013 at 1:59 pm

    What a gorgeous addition to the Maneater series! And I love the twist with the hunter as predator trapped under the lion instead of its usual kill.

    • WendyB says

      July 1, 2013 at 8:25 pm

      Thanks, Susan #2!

  3. Sheila says

    July 1, 2013 at 3:41 pm

    Oh, wow, Wendy, this is just gorgeous! I love the lion (I’m partial to cats). This is my favourite of your “maneater” series so far.

    • WendyB says

      July 1, 2013 at 8:26 pm

      Wait till you see the next one!

  4. Patti @ NotDeadYet Style says

    July 1, 2013 at 3:52 pm

    fabulous! what a creative genius you are. I am rooting for the cat, of course.

    • WendyB says

      July 1, 2013 at 8:26 pm

      The animals are always the winners in this series!

  5. Megan Mae says

    July 1, 2013 at 6:08 pm

    What a beautiful face on the lion. Also I can see where the diamonds are meant to be eyes, but they look like shiny round glasses on the explorer.

    • WendyB says

      July 1, 2013 at 6:19 pm

      Ha ha! They totally do in the picture — I thought so too. In real life they just look like eyes though. I prefer the glasses look.

  6. Aurum Eve says

    July 2, 2013 at 8:32 pm

    I absolutely adore the lion ring!!!! Also, the ring on your banner is ridiculously amazing!

  7. Jet aka Punk Glam Queen says

    July 6, 2013 at 3:57 am

    Stunning! And how appropriate that you chose the lion for this month’s jewel of the month — the astrological sign of Leo starts later this month! XXX

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Award-winning designer of fine jewelry inspired by women's history and pop culture. A former journalist who writes about jewelry, fashion, medieval history, news, feminism, dogs, cats and whatever else is on her mind. Blogging since 2007.
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