Please note: we do not sell the settings by themselves as they're created to order (custom) based on a loose gemstone chosen from the shop. To have a ring made, please select a loose gemstone from the shop and then a ring setting...the two purchases (bespoke setting + loose gemstone (center stone)) will equal the full cost of the ring that will be made especially for you by hand in our workshop.
This listing includes the cost of one or two rings, depending on your selections (but does not include the cost of the center stone...please select from the shop or email us for a different center stone request).
Please note: we can special order many types of gemstones in a variety of shapes/sizes including: Certified lab-grown diamonds, natural diamonds, salt and pepper diamonds, natural sapphires (in a variety of colors; heated or unheated), lab-grown gems (emerald, ruby, alexandrite, sapphires in a variety of colors). We special order gemstones for approximately 90% of our custom/bespoke orders. Please contact us by email: nicole (at) knotandsplice.com or use the contact form.
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About this ring design:
This very special design was made as part of the North American Sapphire Design Challenge sponsored by Sorbet Sapphire and Capricorn Gems. I am honored to have been selected as one of 18 Canadian and American designers as part of an exhibition at the Out of the Jewel Box Experience at the world's largest gem and mineral show, the Tucson Gem Show, February 6–8, 2025.
Inspirations for my design included mermaids, the ocean, and Celtic energy from my ancestry. I love and appreciate abstraction more than perfect realism in my work, as I pulled elements from mermaid tails, sea creatures, and older Celtic aesthetics to create this piece. One of my greatest fascinations in the last few years as an artist has been discovering lost parts of myself through learning about my ancestry. I once felt I was no one, and seeing rich stories of my ancestors made me realize that there were more creative people in my lineage than I ever realized.
Through learning about my ancestry, I found myself drawn to folklore and mythology in my own search for meaning. In 2022, I learned about the selkies (from Scotland, where many of my ancestors are from) which are not quite mermaids, but are similar creatures that are half seal/half human. I resonated so much with this mythological creature at the time and I later realized why at a transformative point in my life.
I also grew up close to the Gulf of Mexico during my childhood and the beach and I often hated the symbols of sea for its connection to tourism. As I grew older and moved away from Florida, I revisited the fond parts of my childhood which included collecting sea shells along the shoreline with my brother, watching coquinas wriggle into the wet sand as the warm sun rays hit my bare arms. I loved sitting on the rocks at the beach in silence with my brother until the sun disappeared beyond the vastness of the sea.
I always hope my work inspires feelings of wonder and something beyond words that connects us to the pulse that ties us all together...the elements of the earth and the threads of our souls that are connected in ways hard to describe with words. Art to me is the visual energy of the unexplainable.
Please note: this bespoke setting is available to be made with your selected center gemstone. Accent options include colorless lab-grown diamonds (as pictured) and natural colorless diamonds. Please use our custom form to inquire about other stone combinations.
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Pictured ring details (your ring will be based on your preferences and center stone selection):
- pictured as a size 6 We can make your ring in any quarter, half, whole ring size (please email if you don't see your size in the drop-down menu)
- Focal gemstone: 0.81ct teal Australian sapphire in an oval brilliant cut (from Capricorn Gems in collaboration with Sorbet Sapphire)
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Accent gemstones: 2- 4mm trillion lab-grown diamonds VS/FG (total carat weight 0.40ct)
- All Knot & Splice gemstones are carefully sourced
- 18K gold weight: ~ 10 grams
- Polished finish
- 18K yellow gold pictured (we use recycled milled metals)— (please choose from 14k yellow, 14k rose, or 14k palladium white gold; we can also cast your hand-carved piece in any 18k color)
- hallmarked "18K" and laser engraved "Knot & Splice (for a 14k, ring will be hallmarked accordingly)
- all the gemstones we use are ethically sourced from reputable gem dealers
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General checkout/shipping details:
- Please select a loose gemstone along with this setting when you check out. Your ring will be made especially for you. Please note these are bespoke/custom rings (see our current timing here)
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This listing is for a Create your own (custom/bespoke) ring. The artist truly sits down to create your ring in wax...completely one of a kind. While we build around this original design, no two rings will ever be exactly the same.
- SHIPPING within the US: this fine jewelry order will be fully insured in the US via Third Party insurance (not noted on the outside of the package) with a signature required for delivery. There is no need to purchase additional insurance.
- International shipping: please select USPS Priority Mail or Priority Mail Express for this item. Your package will be shipped with full third-party insurance and a signature required.
Please note: While every effort is made to photograph the items to be an accurate representation, photography and computer monitors have limitations and differences. These images were taken with a Canon DSLR and macro lens (this shows much more detail than the eye can see). Colors and brightness may vary on different devices. I believe these pieces look so much prettier in person when held in the hand and admired by the eye (I've also been told this many times by Knot & Splice customers). I hope you're delighted when you receive your special piece.