This ring, created by New York designer Temple St. Clair and unveiled during the 2015 Paris Haute Couture Week, depicts a small fox curled up in repose. The designer uses cabochon-cut pink spinels and orange garnets to capture the fluffy texture of the fox’s tail, while delicate engravings on the gold surface evoke the fine details of its fur.
Temple St. Clair defined the fox’s form through its most recognizable features — the head and the tail. At the center of the ring lies a triangular fox head, realistically shaped with a pronounced nose, ears, and expressive facial features. Two marquise-cut emeralds form the fox’s vivid green eyes.
Encircling the head is the fox’s fiery tail, transitioning naturally in color from pink spinel to spessartine garnet, and accented with small diamonds at the tip to suggest shimmering fur. The domed cabochon gems emphasize the tail’s soft, voluminous form.
To recreate the tactile texture of whiskers and fur, Temple St. Clair collaborated with a master engraver from Florence, who hand-carved fine linear details onto the ring’s shank and the fox’s face. This miniature hand-engraving technique — nearly lost to time — adds depth and vitality to the piece, embodying the designer’s reverence for traditional craftsmanship.
