July 16, 2021
La Princepessa, an Emerald Adventure
Once upon a time I received 3 giant emeralds… ✨
A brother set out to create a milestone birthday gift fit for his beloved sister.
I had never worked with emeralds this grand. They totaled just over 10 carats, were the perfect green and quite large for one finger.
Challenge accepted! I started out drawing them east to west. I submitted many sketches and finally late one night I texted this north/south scribble from my iPad and voilá! We had our design direction.
La Principessa. The name came to me easily, almost instantaneously when my client Christopher said ‘It needs a name’ - he was right. This is not new for him 🙌 Their family being of Italian descent, this ring shaping up to be what it was- fit for royalty, the extravagance of this milestone birthday gift from brother to sister… princess, La Principessa. It practically named itself 👑
I reported to Christopher at Avon in my last year there. I enjoyed his style of design direction- technically non specific, emotionally very pointed. Always gave me plenty of leeway to imagine the best results, I just followed the moods he described. I would translate the feeling to the physical ✨ In short clips via text I understood that his mood for these emeralds was ‘Like the ring you wear to dinner on your right hand in Portofino’, ‘Something Victoria Vinciguerra would wear in The Man from U.N.C.L.E’, also ‘a fuck you ring’ 😂
Italian Diva, ok got it 🇮🇹👑 He even sent me a couple of pictures of his sister Gia, it’s always handy to have a muse.
From paper and pencil and into 3D we go. Check out some of the direction from the Computer Aided Design process. This ring was an undertaking and I needed the making of it to be as interactive as possible. What I suggest on paper is never final. Once stones are scanned and the base is built, fresh angles and depths present themselves, connections need to be made and reconfigured. This ideation needs time, it needs patience and it needs sleep. Sleep? Yes. It’s always in the wee hours that the answers come: how to build the bridge, design the grille,
place the pavè…
Once this piece was set there would be no turning back. That said, once the design was approved in 3D we printed the whole thing complete with ‘set stones’, cast in silver for Gia to try on and make sure it fit her perfectly. I’m so glad we did not have to go full blown surprise with this one! The prototype was well received and we were off to create La Principessa for real now!
This ring also required CONFIDENCE. Someone who didn’t flinch at setting 3 giant emeralds, a CAD partner who was excited to work on something so different, and who could understand my vision and revisions 🙌
Made in New York by people from all over the world 🌎 It takes a village and the Diamond District is ours! This piece is so special. Everyone involved was honored to work on it and that level of pride shows in the craftsmanship. The hidden talent I’ve been privy to work alongside over the years never ceases to amaze me. When it all goes according to plan, you are reminded of who the true gems really are!
The last text I received after shipping was ‘Ring given. Overwhelmed’ 😅😅😅 Imagine receiving this??! I can’t!!! I just love it on her 😍
For those of you who have a brother, I know you are as devastated as I am/ green with emerald envy!!! 💚 I am lucky to receive a Happy Birthday text from my handsome bro 😩 Everyone go ahead and forward this to your brothers!!! Christopher set the bar pretty damn high!!!
