The inspiration for many of my nocturnal rings is the Fossa; a strange cousin of the mongoose who is unique to the forests of Madagascar, an African island in the Indian Ocean. Growing up to 6 feet long from nose to tail tip, and weighing up to 26 pounds , the fossa is a slender-bodied catlike creature. Not just a pretty face, the fossa is the largest carnivore and top predator native to Madagascar and is known to feed on lemurs and most other creatures it can get its claws on, from wild pigs to mice. The fossa is also equipped with a long tail that comes in handy while hunting and manoeuvring amongst the tree branches. It can wield its tail like a tightrope walker's pole and moves so swiftly through the trees that scientists have had trouble observing and researching it...making it the ever-elusive predator.
Unlike mongooses fossas have feline features as well as retractable claws and fearsome catlike teeth which I've exaggerated in my designs which gives the ring individuality.
It has large nocturnal eyes for night vision, so
I have used semi-precious stones such as tourmaline and citrine to make them strike
out in the twilight. I have
also designed the ring so the fossa’s snarling, bared teeth appears to be
biting into your finger.
Madagascar is home to an enormous variety of plant and animal life, and a number of species are unique to the island—including over 30 species of lemur, the fossa’s prey of choice. Explorers first arrived on the island some 2,000 years ago, and scientists believe that they would have been met by a bizarre assemblage of now-extinct beasts, including lemurs the size of gorillas and a ten-foot-tall (three-meter-tall) flightless bird.
Presently, fossas are endangered creatures due to habitat loss.
By creating a brand based on the night and nocturnal animals, I
wanted not only to expose unknown animals to the general public, but also raise
awareness for these rare and threatened species. The fossa will make another appearance in my second collection using pearls, coming soon in September!
Check out the Fossa Rings HERE!!
Unlike mongooses fossas have feline features as well as retractable claws and fearsome catlike teeth which I've exaggerated in my designs which gives the ring individuality.
