This ring was made by Rob Jackson. Rob Jackson is a metalsmithing Professor at the University of Georgia in Athens.  This ring is made from a found iron nail with gold and a ruby.  This ring was cast using the lost wax casting process and the stone was cast in place as well.  Rob works primarily in steel and iron, most of which is found in nature or in the walls of an old barn.  

This piece intrigues me because of its use of found material and the reordering of the metal hierarchy.  The steel is the most important aspect of the ring; the gold and ruby are off to the side and behind the nail,  making the first thing you notice is the nail itself.  This ring comments on issues of preciousness and worth.  Which aspect of the ring is the most important?