Karkinos Engagement Ring

August 2025
Diamonds, rubies, 18 karat white gold

A client came to me with a rough drawing of a design for an engagement ring. The main thematic element was that he wanted a bypass ring in the form of his intended's astrological symbol, Cancer. I've used the original Greek name Karkinos (Καρκινος) here, since "Cancer Engagement Ring" doesn't exactly send the romantic message we're looking for. After a few refinements and revisions, we had a design we were both excited to bring to life.

We chose a beautiful half-carat F-color SI clarity diamond as the centerpiece of the ring, along with color- and clarity-matched 0.04-carat diamond side stones to go in the center of the loops of the symbol. I set 56 tiny 0.8mm rubies along the design of the symbol itself, separating it from the rest of the delicate and lustrous 18-karat white gold band and making the design pop beautifully.