Salt and Pepper Diamond Engagement Ring with Paraiba Tourmaline — Empress Setting, 18k Rose Gold

An empire of one, lit from within.

Imperatrix is Latin for Empress — the one who ruled in her own name. This ring wears that crown in rose gold and electric blue: a 1.26 carat salt and pepper diamond at the center, flanked by two Paraiba tourmalines that glow like a lit match held behind stained glass.

The center stone is a little universe of its own. Salt and pepper diamonds are natural and wildly imperfect — smoky inclusions, flecks of black, shadows that shift with the light. No two are alike. More like a piece of the cosmos than a jewel.

A word on the Paraibas, because they deserve one: Paraiba tourmalines were discovered in a single mine in Brazil in the 1980s, and to this day remain one of the rarest colored gemstones on earth. Trace copper inside the crystal lets them glow an almost impossible electric blue-green — a color so distinctive that gem collectors spent decades trying to find more. Very few mines on earth produce them, and fine-quality stones often price higher per carat than diamonds. Two of them, flanking a salt and pepper diamond in warm rose gold, is the kind of combination you don't see anywhere else.

Every stone is natural, ethically sourced, and conflict-free. The 18k rose gold is solid and recycled where possible. The setting is built using old world techniques by hand — the same methods that have defined fine jewelry for centuries.

Made in New York. One piece, one wearer, one story.

Please note The ring pictured is an example of our Empress setting. Because every Vena Amoris piece is made to order by hand, your ring will be crafted individually — with its own hand-selected salt and pepper diamond (1.25 to 1.5 carat range) and its own pair of Paraiba tourmalines, sourced specifically for you. Slight variations in the stones' character, color, and inclusions are part of what makes each piece entirely yours — and part of why no two Vena Amoris rings are alike.

The details

• Metal: Solid 18k rose gold
• Center stone: Salt and pepper diamond, 1.25–1.5 carat range, natural and ethically sourced
• Accent stones: 2 Paraiba tourmalines
• Setting: Empress
• Size: Custom sizes always available

Make it yours Every Vena Amoris piece begins as a conversation. If you'd like this design in a different size, metal, or stone — or something entirely your own — email us. There are no traditions when it comes to love.