Episcopal Ring
2024- Materials
- 18 carat gold, amethyst
- Dimensions
- Ring size 19 · H 28 × W 24 × D 22 mm
- Weight
- 18 g
- Techniques
- lost-wax casting, hand engraving, hand stone setting
- Fineness
- 750
- Commission
- Private commission, Rome, Italy
- Status
- Private collection
An episcopal ring is at once a piece of jewellery and a sign of office, and this commission required the two to be held in balance. The amethyst was selected for its depth rather than its brightness: a bishop’s ring is worn through long ceremonies and under many kinds of light, and a stone that reads consistently is more faithful than one that flashes.
The band was modelled in wax before being cast in eighteen-carat gold, allowing the shoulders to carry a restrained engraving of a cross that only becomes legible at close range. The setting is closed at the back, both to protect the stone during the laying on of hands and to give the ring the quiet weight appropriate to its use. The inner band carries a hand-engraved inscription requested by the recipient.
The proportions were tested against a gloved hand, since the ring is often worn during liturgy. The result sits close to the finger, turns without sharp edges, and avoids the theatrical scale of ceremonial jewellery while remaining unmistakably a ring of office. [PLACEHOLDER COPY — to be replaced with the artist’s own description.]