A Diamond, a Knot, a Memory

On proportion, nautical details, and the stories we bring to jewelry.

This ring began with the diamond and a question of proportion: how could I give it a setting that felt special while keeping the stone as the focal point?

A diamond of this scale gives you room to play. It can hold its own against a more substantial band, allowing for details that might overwhelm a smaller stone. Here, that opened up the possibility of exploring knots—something I’d wanted to work with for some time.

I wanted the setting to reward a closer look, with enough detail to hold your attention and enough restraint to let your eye return to the diamond.

Following the Curve

The cushion’s pillowy corners were part of its appeal, and I wanted to preserve them.

A curved, open bezel follows the stone’s outline, giving it a clean frame. Prongs would have punctuated the corners and, to my eye, made the diamond read as more rectangular. The bezel keeps that softness intact. Its smooth surface also carries your eye naturally into the gold loops and wraps at either side.

There’s a balance between the weight of the gold and the open space within the knotwork. Each gives the other definition.

A Familiar Form

My mother’s side of the family often went boating to Fire Island. Working on this ring brought me back to arriving there and tying the boat to the dock.

I’ve always loved the many ways you can tie a knot. The same length of rope becomes something entirely different depending on how you loop, cross, and pull it through. Each knot has its own shape and purpose. There’s a practical beauty in seeing how it all holds together.

The gold loops and wraps in this ring recall that feeling: a line doubling back on itself and being held in place. I interpreted those forms freely, following the shapes that interested me. The result carries something of those family memories, translated into gold.

What a Knot Can Hold

Knots have a long history in jewelry, with meanings that vary across cultures and forms.

In ancient Egypt, knot-shaped amulets were used for protection. The knot of Isis was placed at the deceased’s neck to offer protection in the afterlife. Greek goldsmiths incorporated the Herakles knot into bracelets, rings, and diadems, attributing powers of healing and protection to the form.

Intertwined lover’s knots came to express love, friendship, and affection. Related bow motifs could signal romance when worn near the heart in seventeenth-century France. Later, bows fashioned from black jet, onyx, and enamel appeared in mourning jewelry as tokens of remembrance.

These are distinct traditions, each with its own history. What interests me is the range of feeling they contain. A form drawn from the simple act of tying can become a way to express affection, offer protection, or keep someone’s memory close.

Knowing When to Stop

The greatest design challenge was restraint.

Once I started exploring the knotwork, there was always another loop, wrap, or tuck I wanted to introduce. Finding the point where the ring felt resolved meant knowing when to stop. The diamond needed space, and the individual details needed to remain clear.

Some of those further ideas may find their way into a band. This ring is the first expression of one of three collections gradually emerging from the shop. Working independently gives me the freedom to follow several directions at once and release each piece when it feels ready.

I like allowing a collection to reveal itself over time. One piece introduces an idea; the next discovers what else it can become.

Perhaps I should start numbering them.

The Meaning Belongs to You

I imagine this ring finding someone who notices the details: the curve of the bezel, the spaces between the gold, the way the wraps hold the design together. The diamond has an immediate presence. The knotwork offers something to discover over time.

My rings are often chosen as engagement rings, but I leave their purpose open. This one could celebrate a marriage, mark a personal milestone, honor a memory, or simply be a ring someone loves wearing.

Someone may recognize the nautical references. Someone else may connect with the symbolism of a knot. Another person may be drawn entirely to the proportions and the way it feels on their hand.

My own memories are part of what I bring to the design. What it comes to mean for someone else is theirs.