I am looking forward to sharing more on the inspiration behind my latest piece, the tiger ring, and on where it's going. The original ring is a miniature sculpture of a tiger that comfortably wraps around the finger. It took 3 weeks of hand carving under high magnification to perfect. A combination of my Bornean background - having a mother who told me stories about how she grew up in the jungle, taking in wounded and vulnerable wild animals and playing with seahorses on the beach, her father eventually founding the first orangutan sanctuary where she released her beloved pet "Jimmy" after he grew up- and my deep love for nature gives me an inherent interest in conservation.

The tiger ring is such a comforting presence to wear, making me reminisce on my deep love for animals that I cultivated as a child but grew separated from as I got older and eventually felt completely removed from after living in New York for 5 years. I decided it's time to reconnect with my roots in a different way than I had in previous collections which had centered on spirituality and culture. It's time to bring back my connection to nature. This time, through figurative representation, and of course continuing the use of pure, natural, and ethically sourced materials. If I can provide people with the comfort of a strong majestic presence through jewelry, there is no reason not to solidify that feeling than through connecting it to action that will go straight back to the source.

This led me to collaborate with Overstories, a team of environmentalists actively working on creating a royalty for the leopard print. My following release- a capsule collection of luxurious stone studded golden leopards - will donate a portion of the sales to aid on the ground efforts protecting these endangered animals. I will continue to make the tiger ring, a solid silver or gold staple piece. Lions are currently available on custom request. Please follow the link below to find out more about Overstories, and their initiative "Imprint".

-Ariana