Description
A wide silver band, pierced with two large spirals, into which the gold sheen obsidian cabochon is set instead of sitting on top. It is the only one of the fifteen settings in the series where the stone is part of the band.
The difference is structural and shows from the side. On the other rings in the series a head carrying the stone is soldered or mounted onto a shank: the piece has two levels. Here the band widens, is cut away into spirals, and the stone comes to sit at the same height as the metal. The profile stays flat, and the ring barely rises off the finger. It is the thinnest in profile of them all, despite its width.
The voids of the spirals are not only decorative. On a wide ring of solid silver the metal weighs and holds heat; removing half of it lightens the piece and lets air through, which changes the comfort over a whole day. A wide solid ring comes off at noon, a wide pierced ring stays on. The other rings are here.
The reservation is the strength, and it is real. A pierced band has less material than a solid one, and it deforms if you clench it in a closed hand, carrying a suitcase for instance. Sterling silver is a soft metal. It does not break, it goes oval, and it then has to be reshaped. I do that free of charge, but it is better not to wear it on moving day. The size guide saves a return.
Crystal lore ties obsidian to grounding, and gold sheen in particular to self-confidence. None of that is proven, and no piece of jewelry heals anything. I have gathered separately what tradition attributes to obsidian, in the conditional from start to finish.
- Genuine gold sheen obsidian, cabochon set into the band, not sitting on a head.
- Sterling silver 925, wide band pierced with two spirals.
- Flat profile: the thinnest in the whole series, despite its width.
- A pierced band goes oval if you clench your fist on it: take it off to carry loads.
What to know before you wear it
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The specifications
- Stone
- Gold sheen obsidian, volcanic glass, integrated cabochon
- Metal
- Sterling silver 925, S925 hallmark
- Setting
- Wide pierced band, integrated closed bezel, no glue
- Width of the band
- About 1/2 in (12 mm)
- Sizes
- 52 to 62 (inner circumference in mm)
- Gender
- Women
- Brand
- Bijoux Obsidienne
A pierced band has to hold without being thick
On a pierced band, the rule that decides everything is the thickness of the bridges, those strips of metal left between two voids. Under a millimeter, the ring goes oval at the first halfway firm pressure; over a millimeter and a half, the drawing thickens and the piercing loses its point, you are back to a solid ring with holes in it. The useful window is narrow and it is what fixes the drawing of the spirals, not the other way around. The pattern follows the constraint.
This setting is in the catalog because the other fourteen are rings with a head, and a ring with a head catches: gloves, pockets, hair. A flat-profile ring does none of that, and for some people it is the only one that is wearable every day. The other rings are here.
Under a millimeter of bridge, it goes oval. Over a millimeter and a half, it is a solid ring with holes in it.
Obsidian does not mind water, but it shatters on impact. Take the ring off before DIY, sport and carrying loads: a pierced band goes oval under firm pressure. Do not polish the blackened hollows. Cleaning an obsidian piece covers the rest.
