Damaskos Byzantine 18K Gold Ring with Emerald & Rubies

This ring is built around the contrast of surface and stone. A hand-hammered martillé ground gives the gold a soft, velvety texture that absorbs light rather than reflecting it — setting the emerald and rubies apart by letting them read as the brightest points on the piece. The design follows Byzantine proportions: centrally placed stones, contained geometry, and ornamental detail that rewards close inspection.

The construction draws on three techniques practiced in the Damaskos atelier without interruption: martillé finishing, in which the gold is struck by hand with a small hammer to build surface depth; twisted-rope wire, formed by hand and applied along the border to define the stone setting; and granulation, the ancient process of fusing tiny spheres of gold to the surface without solder. The center stone is a natural emerald measuring 4x3mm (approximately 0.17ct). Two pear-shaped rubies, each 4x3mm (approximately 0.36ct total), flank it. Four round diamonds of 1.80mm each bring the total diamond weight to 0.08ct. The band is solid 18K gold throughout.

Damaskos has worked from a single atelier in Athens for decades, producing each piece by hand using tools and methods that trace directly to ancient Greek goldsmithing. This ring is proportioned for daily wear and pairs naturally with Byzantine bangles or drop earrings from the same collection.