Queen of Lake Multifunctional Ring

The inspiration behind this ring comes from Monet’s Water Lilies and his life story. As a painter, Monet is one of my favorite artists. This Impressionist master struggled with visual impairment, which made him perceive purple instead of blue and paint white in shimmering tones. Yet his condition never hindered his art—instead, it became a gateway to extraordinary creativity.

That’s why I designed this ring: purple tanzanite echoes Monet’s unique palette, while the sculpted leaves pay homage to his lilies. The diamonds are a nod to the glittering whites in his paintings, and the name “Queen of Lake” is my tribute to his Water Lilies series—with its sharp white highlights and dreamy interplay of blues and purples.

I designed this handcrafted ring to be versatile. It has a mechanism that lets you easily transform it into a pendant or a brooch. Each side is delicately designed, and even the back is handmade, adorned with a tanzanite stone. Despite its size, the ring is comfortable to wear. Inspired by Monet’s Water Lilies, this piece reflects my artistic vision.

From the initial sketch to the finished piece, this handcrafted ring took a month and a half. Each leaf was shaped entirely by hand. I wanted the ring to transform effortlessly into a pendant, with a beautiful yet functional back pin. Even the underside had to be as gorgeous as the exterior—selecting the stones required careful thought. Setting them beneath the petals took time, and finding the pearl was a challenge due to its rare size and color.

The most challenging aspect of the design was developing a convenient method to transform the pendant into a ring. It was essential to maintain both the safety and delicacy of the pin behind the brooch. Due to the limited space, setting various tanzanite stones beneath the petals proved difficult, requiring multiple recuts of the gems. The back of the jewelry also demanded precise design, as it had to accommodate the pin and safety lock when the shank was detached—all while maintaining an elegant appearance.

As a painter, I am deeply passionate about art, and Monet’s work has been a tremendous inspiration to me. His genius color palette captivated me, influencing my gemstone selection for Queen of Lake. I aimed to mirror the hues of his Water Lilies painting while conveying a psychological message through my design: that our weaknesses can become tools for creating something novel and extraordinary. Much like Monet, whose visual impairment never hindered his artistry—he saw blue as purple, and white as a glittering shade—I embraced limitations as a creative force. To represent the purple tones of water, I chose tanzanite, a rare and luxurious gemstone, while diamonds emphasized the shimmering white.

The final shape of the petals was crucial to me. Since the ring is entirely handmade, each bend was carefully executed to achieve delicate, precise curves. These petals needed to cradle the central pearl perfectly, so I repeated the shaping process multiple times until the desired form was achieved.