Mariposa lilies are one of the relatively rare flowers with three petals, and they have long appealed to me not only for their beauty but their symbolism. I’m not into numerology in general, but the number three can stand for many lovely things, and I especially like it as a representation of a relationship’s Past, Present and Future. In a more religious or mystical sense, it refers to the Holy Trinity or to the soul, as the unity of body, mind and spirit. It’s also fascinating to me that the tradition of folklore provides frequent occurrences of three wishes, three tries, three princes or princesses, and three witches.

I’ve used the mariposa lily as the inspiration for several items of jewelry, including the earrings with vintage Georgian amethysts in the sidebar image above the Shakespeare quote. Some time ago I was approached by a client to design a custom version of this motif for her engagement ring, using a reclaimed garnet and a vineyard band in palladium and rose gold. She was drawn to the symbolism of this triad and wanted an orangey-red stone, with the idea that the bloom was springing forth from the band naturally. The end result was very striking, as you can see.