Diana Hirschhorn Artful Handmade Cosmic/Modern Bold Statement Ring! Reticulated Sterling Silver with 24K Gold and Enamel. Custom order Only

Handmade Made of vitreous enamel, 24K gold, sterling silver Luscious glossy black enamel and reticulated sterling silver is accented with 24K gold in this handmade statement ring! My designs lean towards modern and bold but with a "cosmic" flair to them. This ring certainly has that! As geometric and modern as it is, it has somewhat of a cosmic feeling to it as the design elements do somewhat resemble the sun, the stars, planets, the solar system, don't you think? Whatever you see in this design is up to your interpretation but in any event it certainly commands attention! It is truly one-of-a-kind and will never be seen on anyone else! So, having written this...it is now SOLD! I am happy to take custom orders, however! We can do a Zoom call or convo or email to discuss. It can be made similarly or to your specifications and/or modifications for a truly “one-of-a-kind, only yours and not to be seen on anyone else” piece of jewelry!! This ring has had many different techniques and materials come together in its design and creation! The somewhat triangular enameled focal piece started out as bare copper sheet metal from which I cut out this custom fitted shape. This became the base for my vitreous enameling process which you can read more about below if you're interested! I have chosen a deep, dark night sky solid black enamel in this design. Generous accents of 24K gold are incredibly bold and vivid against the black glossy background of the vitreous enamel! This piece is then "heat riveted" on to the reticulated and fused sterling silver backplate of the ring, adding dimension with balled ends. These balls compliment the balled ends of the sterling silver wires that I have fused on to the silver. Water casting is another process I have used in this design. This is the small round open organic looking "pod" you may notice. All of these elements are set into a "frame" that has a gorgeous texture along its edge. I have created this texture by hand by effectively digging divets into this side wall with a round bur, one at a time! What a fabulous texture it creates! Prongs secure the two components together and is soldered to the shank. The shank itself is created with sterling silver wire that wraps numerous times around your finger! It complements the solar system design of this ring with its many rotations! The variety of techniques come together for a truly one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry that you, or perhaps the special person you may be giving it to as a gift, will undoubtedly cherish and love! Read below for a further explanation of both the reticulation process as well as the vitreous enamel process if you are interested! This ring is entirely made by hand, by me, in my studio. Gift Wrap as shown is free! It is just me working in my studio. This ring is available by custom order only. The one you see pictured is sold. I am happy to make another and it will be similar but can never be exactly the same. The timing on a custom order varies depending upon what other orders I have accepted , although my commitment is to turn it around within 1 -2 weeks of receiving the order. Please convo me for specifics and to inquire. I ship from Florida, and time in transit will vary depending upon where in the US you are located. I ship USPS with tracking info, which gets to most places within 3 - 5 business days of being mailed. Priority Mail is available at check-out as an upgrade if you would like it faster! Exchanges I want you to be happy with your purchase. Each piece is handmade by me in my home studio in Sarasota, Florida. If you need to exchange your purchase, please call or email me to discuss. Please note that I am not able to offer refunds on items made to order. Thank You! Interested in knowing more about the process of vitreous enamel? If so, read on….. And if not, just know these are a quality, beautifully finished handmade pair of one-of-a-kind earrings! Most of my enamel jewelry starts with a piece of copper or silver that has been cut into the shape I envision my completed piece to be. Holes are drilled at this point, rough edges are sanded and filed off and any doming/dapping of the final form occurs at this point. The piece is then carefully and thoroughly cleaned by both scrubbing as well as pickling (immersing in an acidic cleaning solution kept warm in a crock pot). Without touching the surfaces to be enameled (enamel will not adhere to any areas that have any oil from your fingers or other residues), a fine mist of a clear gummy solution is sprayed on that will help the fine enamel particles adhere. Enamel particles (glass in a powdery form) are now sifted on, which comes in various colors, particle size, and formulas. Numerous firings will occur, creating one layer over the next, most often on the front as well as the reverse side of my designs. The many layers create depth and interest as well as giving stability to the piece. Each firing is done from 2 to as many as 7 minutes, in a kiln at approximately 1500 degrees. The firings are typically done 3 to 5 times on the front and 2 to 3 times on the reverse side. Removing the piece at precisely the right time is key to the process and a small window in my kiln allows me to peak in and see what is happening. Removing the piece from the kiln at precisely the right moment is imperative. When I design a pair of earrings I fire the two pieces at the same time. Truly no two pieces are ever the same, however they will be similar to each other by doing this and will create a lovely “coordinating”, not identical, set! I particularly enjoy the processes of crackle enamel and separation enamel, which are the interesting patterns and dimension that you see in many of my designs. These techniques create organic looking pieces that often resemble natural stones and gems….but in the shape and design I want them to be! Vitreous enamel, the process I use, is not to be confused with resin enamel or painted enamel or enamelware or many other uses of the word “enamel”…none of which are glass powders sifted on metal and fired with a torch or in a kiln numerous times at temperatures of approximately 1500 degrees until the powder melts and adheres to the metal creating a layer of gorgeous pure glass over the metal as I have described above…vitreous enamel. Be careful…not all enamels are created equal. Also to be considered is whether or not the vitreous enamel is fired on both sides of the piece you are considering. This is much more time consuming in the creation of the piece but increases its strength and stability, making for a quality, long lasting piece of jewelry. So now you know about the process of creating vitreous enamel jewelry! Truly no two pieces are ever identical! It is a fun and rewarding process. More about reticulation and fusing.... Reticulating silver is a very organic process, with no two pieces turning out the same either! Although I tend to be very geometric and modern in my work, with well-thought out designs, I find that the process of reticulation somewhat forces me to “let go” and let the process lead me (to a certain extent!) where it wants to go….it is a very Zen-like experience as you absolutely can not have a predetermined outcome…you just need to trust that you have the skill to not melt your metal into a molten pool of hot liquid! The process starts in this design with a piece of sterling silver cut to size in a rectangular shape. Repeatedly heating and quenching and pickling is the next step. When I have done this multiple times, the metal starts to look white, evidencing the fact that the fine silver has been brought to the surface. Another round of this process will start to give the surface of the metal a lovely texture. Control is important here as a little too long under the torches hot flame will cause it to melt. The direction and path of the flame I am placing on my metal creates various patterns and textures. Once I am satisfied with my texture, I take the next step which is the addition of wires and balls through the process of fusing. Once again, high heat and lots of control over the flame is required and at precisely the right moment, the wires and balls will fuse to the surface. It’s a tricky process that requires skill and concentration as there is only about 100 degrees or so between fusing and melting a hole right through the sheet of metal...or the whole thing...if you are not careful! Like most silversmithing techniques, fusing and reticulation takes practice. I had the good fortune to study this process under a world renowned jewelry artist and teacher by the name of Harold O’Connor early in 2020. To him I give my repeated thanks and gratitude as I am very comfortable now with the technique and find him to be inspirational. Google him if you are interested in checking out his work! It is amazing!!