Retired James Avery Sterling Silver Black Onyx Chalcedony African Bead Ring 6.5

This James Avery sterling silver ring centers a domed black onyx chalcedony cabochon in a smooth bezel, flanked on both shoulders by rows of graduated silver beads. The stone is a high polished dome with no banding or inclusions, deep solid black, and the bezel wraps it in a plain rounded collar with no ornament so nothing competes with the cabochon itself. The bead work is where the design lives: five spheres per side, each one distinct and fully rounded, stepping down in size as they run from the bezel toward the shank. The beads are separated from the setting by a recessed oxidized channel that darkens to shadow, throwing the polished spheres into sharp relief.

The African Bead motif is one of Avery's most distinctive design languages, drawn from the granulation traditions of West African goldwork where clustered spheres carry the whole visual weight of a piece. The band is heavy and comfortably domed, rising smoothly into the shoulders so the ring has real presence without a sharp edge anywhere on it. The interior is stamped STER and T with the JA candelabra mark. This one is retired.

Comes with James Avery box and pouch.

Details:
Metal: Sterling silver
Hallmarks: STER, T, JA Candelabra
Stone: Black onyx chalcedony cabochon
Design: African Bead motif with graduated silver bead shoulders
Ring Size: 6.5
Status: Retired
Packaging: James Avery box and pouch
Condition: Excellent estate condition

Fun Facts:
James Avery began handcrafting jewelry in Kerrville, Texas in 1954, working out of a two-car garage before the company grew into one of the most recognized American jewelry names.
Onyx is a banded variety of chalcedony, and the ancient Greeks named it from "onyx," meaning fingernail, after a myth in which Cupid clipped the sleeping Venus's nails and the fates turned the fallen clippings to stone so that no part of a goddess could ever perish.