Piece by Piece: Tessa Blazey's 'Bella & God' Ring

Piece by Piece is an ongoing journal series dedicated to examining individual works of jewellery with attention to material, form and intention. Each feature draws focus to a single piece or small group of works, offering insight into the ideas, processes and decisions that shape them.

In this edition, we turn our attention to Tessa Blazey’s 'Bella & God' ring, a work shaped by cinema, symbolism, and the quiet power of material choice. Inspired by Yorgos Lanthimos' Oscar winning film, 'Poor Things', the ring explores duality through form and stone, translating character, narrative, and emotional tension into a wearable object. We spoke with Tessa about how film, gemstones, and storytelling converge in this distinctive piece.

PO8: 'Poor Things' is a film rich in contrast, blending dark humour with tenderness and wonder. What was it about the characters of Bella and God that compelled you to translate their relationship into a single piece of jewellery?

TB: I was inspired by the films' mad and wonderful characters, Bella and God. It’s a super left-field dark comedy where we experience the world through the eyes of Bella, played by Emma Stone, as a Frankenstein-like creation of Willem Dafoe’s character, God. As she begins to understand the world and humanity with a childlike sense of wonder, the dynamic between creator and creation becomes really compelling. That relationship felt rich enough to translate into a single piece of jewellery.

PO8: You selected two very distinct gemstones to embody these characters. How did material and form help you express the differing qualities of Bella and God?

TB: A very rare and beautiful pale yellow uncut Australian diamond was selected to represent Bella. Diamonds are strong, and this particular stone has an unusual shape and colour that felt perfectly aligned with her character. Bella is incredibly resilient and unique, and she also wears this same pale yellow colour in two significant scenes in the film. There’s something raw and magnificent about her, much like an uncut diamond.

The hex rose-cut salt and pepper diamond immediately reminded me of Willem Dafoe’s character, God. It has a kind of nerdy, geometric quality and is filled with dark, peppery imperfections. Hexagons make me think of science and chemistry, which felt right for a mad scientist figure. God’s character carries a dark magic, with scars that evoke Frankenstein’s monster, and the stone reflects that sense of experimentation and intensity.

PO8: The ring’s structure suggests hierarchy, movement, and a shifting balance between the two forms. How does the setting reflect Bella’s growing autonomy in contrast to God’s more grounded, rational presence?

TB: Bella is exceptional, a true trailblazer, so I set the stone representing Bella at the top of a comet-like structure covered in anomalous blobs. As the story unfolds and Bella becomes more liberated and autonomous, she begins to exist in a world of her own, hovering above the other characters, which is reflected in the elevated setting of the ring. In contrast, the setting for God is deliberately less lofty, more grounded and predictable, reinforcing his rational, controlling presence.

Tessa Blazey’s 'Bella & God' ring is a striking exploration of narrative and form. Presented within a custom Kate Rohde ring box - an ornamental sculpture in its own right - the work extends beyond adornment into the realm of collectible art. We invite you to view this distinctive piece online or in person at 28 Russell Place, Melbourne, to experience its presence firsthand.