Luna, Goddess of the Moon Mini Ring
18ct yellow gold , handmade to order in Geneva
Symbols: Crescent Moon, Stag, Japanese Maple, Jasmine, Melon, Crab, Woodland Glades
Luna is the Roman goddess of the moon (Selene in the Greek), feminine counterpart to Sol, the god of the Sun. One of the three aspects of the Roman triple goddess (diva triformis) with Persephone and Hectate, Luna is not always considered a distinct goddess, but an epithet for a number of other goddesses each of whom represents the moon in different traditions, since both Diana and Juno are identified as moon goddesses in their own right. As Selene, Luna encapsulates "light, brightness, gleam”. As Diana, a goddess in the Roman and Hellenistic religion, she is primarily considered a patron of the countryside, of hunters and crossroads, as well as the Moon.
The symbol of the crossroads resonates across the lunar goddess legend; a junction hunters encounter in the forest, the crossroads represents choices made in the dark, without the light of guidance, until the arrival of the full moon. Hectate too is connected with crossroads, boundaries and transitions, as well as with the night, light and magic. Her knowledge of herbs and plants aligns her with traditional natural medicine, and, in the patriarchal system, witchcraft. As Goddess of the Moon, Luna is associated with the astrological sign of Cancer.
The Goddess collection is inspired by the character and mythology of powerful Roman and Grecian legends, and the overlap into other forms of cultural and philosophical representation. Alice was inspired by the way that symbols in fine art would have been instantly recognisable for the narratives they represented, in a way that only experts schooled in art history would likely now recognise. Symbolism is such a powerful force in contemporary jewellery, and as an artist with strong female clients and collaborators, Alice wanted to explore characteristics that would be meaningful and enduring.
After a decade of working in meenakari enamel, an engraved process, Alice collaborated on this collection with Colombian goldsmith Juan Sebastian Galan Bello to create stories in repousse 18 carat yellow gold - from working inwards to working outwards. Juan realised in gold a series of illustrations created with Charlotte Gastaut, a Parisian illustrator working with brands such as Diptique and Hermes, and on the creation of her own fairytale narratives rendered in print and on silk.