An Enamel Ring and Pendant for Kara

Recreating antique styles of jewelry is no easy task, but it is a challenge we are always willing to take on. Kara collects jewelry from all eras and was looking to make an antique-inspired ring and pendant using small mine cut diamonds she had. She wanted something that was ornate feeling and delicate, but still a statement piece to fit her bold style, and particularly liked the idea of incorporating a darker stone or enamel as the backdrop to her diamonds. 

We immediately thought of the “bague au firmament” concept when dreaming up designs for Kara, and luckily she was as excited about the idea as we were! The “bague au firmament,” or “ring of the heavens,” was a style that emerged in late 18th century France and was popularized by everyone’s favorite fashion plate, Marie Antoinette. In this style, dark blue foiled enamel backgrounds were set with a pattern of twinkling diamonds to evoke the night sky, and made as rings in dramatic octagonal or navette shapes. We updated the concept by replacing the ubiquitous diamond border with a delicate yellow gold millegrain edge, which connects to a split-shank band. We opted for a more modern black enamel as the backdrop for her diamonds and set them in similarly finished millegrain bezels. Kara loved the ring so much so that she also decided to make a matching pendant!  

We had so much fun creating these one-of-a-kind pieces for Kara and keeping this jewelry-making technique alive! As jewelry history nerds, we love when clients come to us with historical references for pieces they are hoping to make. Reach out to us for a consultation and we can help bring your antique-inspired piece to life.