Ruby & diamond ‘bubble’ ring

This was a fun remodel to work on. My customers came to me with a substantial, inherited men’s 18ct gold signet ring, set with five diamonds and seven rubies. They also had a smaller ring containing five additional small diamonds, and wanted to use most of these stones in a new design.

They were drawn to a ‘bubble’ style ring, with multiple bezel settings and a heavy shank to balance the number of stones. We reused the original 18ct yellow gold for the ring shank, paired with new 18ct white gold for the settings.

Once the stones were removed from the original ring, it was apparent that the rubies were cushion cut rather than round. Rather than trying to disguise this, we decided to emphasise their shape within the design. With so many stones available, we chose not to use the smallest rubies or and only two of the tiny diamonds, so they didn’t travel too far around the finger.

I love the resulting ring — it is substantial and impactful, yet still elegant. The contrast between yellow and white gold, diamonds and rubies, and round and cushion-cut stones makes the ring wonderfully unique.