Britt’s Pick: Calms Jewelry’s Ripple Diamond Ring

By Brittany Siminitz | April 21, 2026

The meaning of art is in the eye of the beholder—Calms Jewelry’s Ripple ring is proof of that.

It is named Ripple because its design is rooted in the movement of water. Yet when I beheld the piece, I immediately thought of a fun house mirror, a quirky take on a beautiful, laboriously realized design partly inspired by the ribbed rings of the 1980s.

“The Ripple ring is one of the most time-intensive pieces I’ve created to date,” Jennifer O’Brien, founder of Calms Jewelry, tells JCK. “The sculptural form required multiple rounds of refinement to achieve both visual balance and structural integrity around this one-of-a-kind heptagonal diamond.”

That (lab-grown) diamond, which O’Brien says she knew would be a hero piece for her new brand, is at the heart of the ring’s design, not competing with it but rather working in harmony with each golden ripple that radiates from its center.

“I fell in the love with the diamond’s geometry but had to try many sketches before finding a setting substantial enough for this stone,” the designer says. “I built the shape outward by layering gold around the stone, echoing the diamond’s geometry while softening the edges. The design embraces the tension between sharp and soft lines, like the surface of water in motion.”

From digital modeling to multiple castings, the design took over five months to complete, and O’Brien worked with several CAD experts to refine each detail. “It was truly a collaborative effort in NYC’s Diamond District, bringing together multiple hands and specialties to perfect its final form,” she says.

While the Ripple ring is a one-of-a-kind piece, O’Brien expects its creation to inform her future work, as she seeks to improve the timeline from conception to finished product. Calms Jewelry offers custom and bespoke engagement rings in addition to a collection of fine jewelry.

Top: Ripple ring in 18k yellow gold with 1.75 ct. lab-grown diamond, $10,200; Calms Jewelry