Roger Lucas (Canadian, b. 1936), designer, Cartier (French, est. 1847), manufacturer, Ring, 1969, gold, diamonds

Audio Description

Designed by Canadian jeweler Roger Lucas this ring was designed in 1969. Lucas was born in 1936. The gold and diamond ring was manufactured by Cartier—a French jewelry house established in 1847.

This ring was made to fit over two fingers at the same time and has a double band made of textured yellow gold. The central focus are plants and flowers resembling those found in the sea that rise above the band almost an inch. Set in and around the sea plants are seven small, faceted diamonds.

Label Copy

Designed by Canadian jeweler Roger Lucas this ring was designed in 1969. Lucas was born in 1936. The gold and diamond ring was manufactured by Cartier—a French jewelry house established in 1847.

While Lucas created both bracelets and pendants, he was called the ‘Lord of the Rings’—admittedly his favorite form. He approached his rings as art objects and theorized they could be thirty feet high or small enough to fit on a finger. Lucas described these pieces as sculpture for the hand. He thought of them as sensual and intimate, anticipating that women would never want to remove them.

An ardent sailor and diver, many of Lucas’s pieces reflect this passion. Spiky elements resembling undersea foliage rise from this band with diamonds nestled among the sea flowers. Designed for Cartier, for whom he worked in the late 1960s and early 1970s, this is a double ring, meant to be worn on two fingers. Lucas was known for his two- and three-finger rings. Although not a new style, the jeweler often employed such designs with settings large enough to span adjacent digits.

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