Wendy Brandes Jewelry Blog

Never Is the Next New Thing

Avert Your Eyes, Skull Haters

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Here is a one-of-a-kind ring that I recently finished. The skull is carved in onyx and the green stones are tsavorite.

Skull Ring
© Wendy Brandes 2007-2008
All photos by Squaremoose


In the next photo, you’re looking past the shank to see the diamonds that are set on the INSIDE of the ring.

Everything is set in 18K gold. The gold has been blackened in some places to give more depth to the piece and make the tsavorites pop. You can get an idea of the size of it if you enlarge the photo in this post. I’m wearing it on the hand that’s touching the sign.

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Comments

  1. FABULOUS i love cool rings!
    really great find
    i think there was a Cavalli ring very similar to this… i think it was cavalli?! anyway it’s hot!

  4. Wow-this is a totally beautiful ring and it really shows off your creativity and originality-very well done, its stunning!!

  5. i’m shaking with desire! must have tsavorite skull…he looks like a complex guy. brilliant piece.

  6. i wasn’t going to comment cause i don’t really want to be known as the creepy girl who loves skulls… but i’m the creepy girl who loves skulls. what a cool ring! love it!

  8. It’s gorgeous. I love your designs, there’s always something a bit different about them that sets your jewellery apart from all the rest.

  9. If I get married, I want my engagement ring to look like that. Is that a little morbid? I don’t care!

  11. I’ve never seen anything like that ring. It’s really cool. I like the blackened gold with the onyx.

    This is superb!

  13. I’m scared of it. But drawn to it! Wendy, you are clearly a sorceress.

    The carving on the skull is just astonishing. And the thrusting chin makes me think of Frank from Donnie Darko.

    Eeeeyaaa.

  14. that ring is amazing… it looks like it’s built like a diamond encrusted tank!

  15. Wendy, it is such a rare piece – the ring of Haute Couture with character! Even the skull looks very different! The eyes are so round! The black and green combo is just amazing! Darling, you are truly talented!

  18. Wendy, you have outdone yourself!!! (The only way you could top this is by making a ring of me! Not ;P)

  19. That ring is brilliant.

    I have a white gold ring…actually, I should probably just email you.

  28. I love the claw-like “fingers” that are made of the garnets. I also love your hair in the picture.

  29. this is absolutely amazing! the black makes it slightly eery, but the green stones add such a whimsical feel…one of my favorite pieces!

  33. There is not enough hotness to describe this ring! Amazing. Amazing. Amazing.

  35. Are you kidding me?! I know that almost nobody is going to comment and go “eh, that’s nice I guess,” but honestly, I really am enamored of the craftsmanship and design here. The whole composition projects so many things: it’s fun and self aware, but it’s also really magical and guileless and unapologetic. And somehow it seems really organic and earthy but also thoroughly modern.

  37. because I am unoriginal, and cammila looks like a word genius can I just say “what she said!!!”?

    but DIAMONDS INSIDE the skull, now you are just showing off!!!

    I wish I could borrow that to put an awesome dent in someones face! that would be the closest to skull effing I will ever get!

  38. Thank you to ALL you peeps for your kind comments on the ring.

    Thank you to Shoeaddict for the added bonus of a hair compliment! That was very well-timed since I’ve been hating on the hair all day.

    PAD, What’s not to love?

    Emily and Cammila, I’m so happy that you both picked up on the duality of the piece. I wanted this ring (like many of my pieces) to look funny/serious, old/new and beautiful/ugly.

    PPIEW, I’m shocked that you even know of “skull effing”! A nice girl like you? I’m going to tell your mama.

  39. as always, just trying to get you to notice me!

    one of the many things I’ve learned from being a devoted Howard Stern listener for 15 years!

    BABA Booey!

  41. Holy smokes that ring is beautiful!!! I would so buy that just to have on display!

  43. Wow that’s a really interesting ring. Most skull motifs are kind of cutesy, but that’s really fierce looking!

  44. you must have made that skull ring just to tease me, i swears it. morbid? skulls/pirate esque jewelery? uhm, give it here, plz….

  45. I’m a skull hater. But I can’t deny that this is a beautiful ring. Having the skull in onyx is what does it for me.

  47. I know I am late to this post but, GLUP! Oh my sweet lord, that is F*&@ing awesome! (see it is so good I am loosing my perspicacity).

  48. Did you forge–in secret–a master ring? One ring to rule them all, perhaps? This creation is stunning and I’ve never seen a better reason to be rockstar-rich. Better start tuning my Stratocaster.

    I so want to know how much the Precious costs, but it’s like J.P. Morgan famously said about yachts: “If you have to ask the price, you can’t afford it.”

    *sigh*

  49. Wow! As someone who has self-confessed “skull issues” I’ve looked at a lot of jewelry with skulls on and this is (by far) my favorite. I LOVE this ring…