Inspired by the style of the Art Nouveau movement, this one-of-a-kind ring features an elongated pear-shaped chrome tourmaline with long leaves ribboning around the finger and over the stone. The tourmaline is further secured at the base by a textured sepal. The ring is 18K gold. 

Size: 7.5

Please note you should go up in size slightly given the barrel of the ring. i.e. If you are typically a size 7, a size 7.5 would likely be an ideal fit. 

Gem Materials: Chrome tourmaline weighs approximately 6.82 cts. 

Inspired by an arrestingly beautiful ring by Georges de Ribaucourt dated 1902 in the collection of the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. Then the wheels in my mind started turning. The ring as it was produced at the turn of the twentieth century did not hold the stone securely, and the tip of the stone was unprotected, making it not only structurally flawed, but also dangerous. 

As a jewelry historian, I wondered if it was a maquette, or a shop model, not intended for sale. Or perhaps it was produced for a special client, who was aware of the limitations of the ring? 

I set about reproducing it so I could answer some of these questions. Is there a way to construct the ring without covering the tip? I could not figure out a way unless I changed the shape of the stone. I wonder if Ribaucourt left the tip exposed because there was no secure way to set a stone into the ring with the technology available then. Using new technology available to us now, we were able to cover the tip of the tourmaline and protect it, and ultimately assemble the ring so the stone is set securely. It was a lot of fun, but how I wish I could speak with Ribaucourt and answer the many questions raised. If anyone reading this could put me in touch with Evelyne Possémé, the retired curator of the MAD in Paris, or the new curator, I would welcome an opportunity to solve this riddle.