Paul had been fascinated by gemstones since the age of five, when he found a large crystal at a landfill near his home. He began working in lapidary in 1970 after a friend showed him how to cut and polish a tigereye, and was hooked on the jewelry arts from that point onward.
Paul began placing agates that he found in his home state of Utah into ready-made settings, but in 1974, he learned the art of silversmithing in order to create his own designs. The following year, Paul added goldsmithing to his list of talents.
Paul first attempted making the One Ring of Power™ in the mid-seventies, with results he calls "crude attempts," but it was a start. He began working on the ring more seriously in 1997, then in 1998 produced a flattened version of it.
The next year, the rings were refined to make them rounder and more comfortable to wear. That's the design now offered by his company, in gold, silver, platinum, and a gold-plated bronze which they call Gollum Gold. Badali Jewelry Specialties is licensed by Tolkien Enterprises to create and sell the rings.
Paul has an answer for those who wonder why he would want to re-create a ring that's original purpose was evil. A portion of his response:
- "I feel that the One Ring...is a symbol of Frodo's willing sacrifice of his life to rid the world of a great evil. It is also a symbol of the bonds formed within the Fellowship's journey and their struggles to overcome evil."
The Precious isn't the only Lord of the Rings jewelry that Badali's creates. You'll find Dwarven Rings of Power™, Elven Rings of Power™, and a unique Gollum™ Creature Ring.
You'll also find many other types of fantasy jewelry at Badali's: fairies, unicorns, wizards, spiders, wolves, griffins, gargoyles, and mermaids.
Visit the company's online store at http://www.badalijewelry.com.
