This ring embodies principles of Constructivist design that the artist learned from Lázló Moholy-Nagy at the New Bauhaus in Chicago. This 20th-century movement emphasized geometry, reflected light, motion, transparency, and spatial organization. Margaret De Patta expressed these concepts by using geometric forms and unusual materials, like this quartz, a clear stone with black needle-like crystals embedded within it. To achieve an impression of stones floating in space, De Patta created innovative settings that avoided traditional bezels and prongs and instead used open structures and cantilevers. The final product exploits the graphic qualities of tourmalinated quartz with an asymmetric, linear setting that mimics naturally occurring crosses and diagonals of the black rutiles suspended in the stone. When moved, the ring offers changing views of overlapping lines in space. De Patta’s pioneering work earned her recognition as a seminal figure in the field of studio jewelry.