Hummingbird Skull Ring

1989
Sterling silver, moonstones

Back when I was in high school, my friend Rodney offered to pay me to make him a hummingbird skull ring—and I had never been paid to make anyone jewelry at that point. I sat down with several pictures of hummingbird skulls from an encyclopedia (pre-internet!), carved a replica skull in wax and cast it in silver (no hummingbirds were harmed). I set moonstones in the eyes and sold the whole thing to Rodney as my first-ever commission.