** This ring is limited based on the small quantity of stones we have in the studio and we do not know if they'll be available again in the future. 

Please either leave your ring size in the notes section while going through the check out process or reach out to us after placing your order to confirm your ring size. We can not begin creating your ring until your ring size is confirmed. 

Psychopomps in myth are entities who assist in ferrying the newly dead to the Underworld; these can be in a “human” form such as Hekate or Hermes, or in animal form, such as sparrows or owls. Here, we’ve resurrected a much beloved and coveted ring from my earliest days, and reimagined it, adding life cast bat bones, marrying them with the same life cast sparrow claws from the first ring. These immortal sterling silver  “remains” cradle a fine cut gemstone of your choice, and echo a kind of traditional “engagement” ring, as the first iteration was meant to serve as a devotional ring to yourself, a declaration of accepting all of the sharp, inky, messy parts of yourself: your rage, your sadness, your bluntness, your inability to mask at all times, your awkwardness at social gatherings, your inability to say the right thing when you “need to”, your habit of saying the wrong thing on accident, of accepting that sometimes your hair might be out of place, that you might not pass, that you might stumble or bump into a piece of furniture in front of everyone, that you might use filler words too much when you speak, that you didn’t graduate from college like everyone else you know, that you feel incapable of climbing out of debt no matter how hard you try, that you can’t quite seem to feel good any day of the week, that you can’t quite seem to ‘get it right’. This first ring meant accepting these things, wearing a ring that meant belonging to all of the parts of yourself, saying ‘yes’ to every little part, no matter how much society says ‘no’.

Many years later, this newer version of this ring means all of these things, and it also means you have permission to change too, you have permission to face these things and to chip away at any of them and any of them I missed, and you have support too, you have a guide, a guardian, something to touch and turn on your finger to know you’re not alone, that I believe magic is real and you’re allowed to believe that too, in whatever way that word resonates for you. 

It’s my wish that you’re not alone. That you feel safe and protected, whether it’s with this ring or not, whether it’s with the pages of a book, with the kinship of others, with the hug of a friend or loved one, with just being seen and heard, with knowing you can be, with knowing someone else feels the same way and is working on it too, is also just accepting the same things about themselves too. 

Belonging to themselves, and belonging to each other. Helping each other cross thresholds.

Highly detailed cast sterling sparrow claws have been combined with bat bones to create this ring which is then oxidized to our signature gloomy grey and finished to reveal the highlights beneath. The sparrow claws are a detailed reincarnation of a real pair cast, and now made immortal.

Bats and their cast wing and leg bones have long been a component I’ve used in my visual library as a way of creating a personal visual language. As nocturnal creatures, I feel a kinship with their natural predilection for the night time hours, but I’m also interested in how they use sonar to ‘see’, how as a metaphor bats as liminal creatures also remind us to look closer with our other senses, a way of ‘seeing the unseen.’ It’s my hope and intention that pairing them with other chthonic imagery and myth further adds to the visual meaning I’m aiming for, creating a collage of personal ideas while also tethering these physical jeweled objects to the spirit of the bat ( and other natural objects in the case of other jewels in my collection ) and to the spirit of the myths I’m invoking.

Details:

- Solid sterling silver 

- Sits 7.5mm off of the finger

- Approximately 22mm at its widest

- 7.5mm hand cut fine cut round gemstone 

- Last image features this ring with other jewels from our Limited Katabasis offerings.  

Garnet:

Garnet is seemingly named for a few things, the most interesting and well known being that of the Pomegranate, named for either its glowing red color or its relational look to the seeds within when polished. This has tied it to the myth of the Goddess Persephone in some of its lore, who is as inseparable to the Pomegranate and its fateful seeds as Eve is to the apple of Eden. This association, admittedly, is what first drew me to Garnet, but its long and storied history, spanning many cultures and parts of the world is as fascinating as just about any other gemstone of my acquaintance. I also fell for its uncanny beauty, which  like a glowing ember one can wear on the skin, appears alive like fire does. 

As an ancient gemstone, the Egyptians knew of its power and beauty, which seems to be the seal of magical authenticity on the stone as it was found not only amongst grave goods but also within the settings of talismans wrapped in the layers of mummies to protect the body on its journey to the afterlife. I imagine it being present with its wearer before the weighing of the heart, as it’s a stone closely aligned with the heart ( akin in this way, to Rose Quartz. ) 

Created under extreme pressure and temperatures in the darkness of the subterranean realms, Garnet persists and thrives under these difficult circumstances - suggesting strength and personal resiliency. It’s also, like the Phoenix, associated with fire and its transformative properties, rising from extremely high temperatures. It’s considered to be a stone of creativity, as it’s ‘blood’ colored and associated with fire and the heart, ( as mentioned above) suggesting a quickening of the blood, a call to creative action, passion.

This passion also extends to both romantic and platonic relationships, the stone was given to strengthen bonds between friends and lovers due to its association with the Persephone myth in a strange nod to how Pomegranate seeds kept Persephone bond to the Underworld for part of the year/ being returned to the Upper realms for Spring/Summer, ( this also made it a traveler’s stone) as well as for its color being similar to heart’s blood. 

Another interesting bit : in the Medieval Ages it was considered to ward off Melancholy and also, interestingly, to be the material that Dragon’s eyes were made of. 

All in all, Garnet is a wildly magical and highly potent stone, beautiful, ancient and intense; a personal raging fire to keep close- to remind you that you belong to the land of the living. To quicken the blood when feeling otherwise. 

These jewels are hand cut and therefore may have very slight differences in size and may have small signs of the carver's hands along the edges. These are not fabricated by a machine, they are made by hand and therefore aren't uniformly perfect. The photographs accurately portray the quality of the stones and the cuts. 

***IMPORTANT***

This jewel is handmade to order, just for you, with care and focus. Please allow approximately 6 weeks for creation before shipping.                   

Visit the Policy Page to make an educated and informed purchase HERE.

If you have further questions, we are always here to serve you in a kind and timely manner: via bloodmilkjewels@gmail.com