Kris Averi’s Prism Thorn ring channels Pride as wearable armor

Kris Averi’s Prism Thorn ring turns Pride symbolism into something that feels less like seasonal dressing and more like armor you can actually wear. The rainbow version, which debuted on June 16, pairs angel-cut, octahedral lab-grown sapphires in a ROYGBIV spectrum with a thorny silhouette that keeps the piece sharp, not sweet.

Founder and creative director Kris Harvey built the ring with lapidarist Oke Millett, who custom-cut the stones in Thailand into calibrated, true octahedrons. The setting is reverse-set, preserving each sapphire’s pavilion and pointed underside instead of flattening it into a conventional face-up mount. That choice gives the stones a more architectural profile and lets the geometry do the work: the finished ring reads like a crown of rainbow sapphires, with light bouncing in multiple directions rather than sitting neatly on top.

Harvey has described the stones as “compressed light,” and that idea is visible in the construction. The thorn motif pushes the design away from a decorative rainbow and toward a more defiant language, one Harvey framed as “light fractured into a full spectrum, worn as armor like thorns or punk spikes.” In jewelry terms, the impact comes from the setting as much as the color. A bezel would have softened the silhouette; prongs would have opened it up in a more familiar way. Instead, the reverse-set construction makes the ring feel guarded, almost armored, while still allowing the sapphires to flash.

Kris Averi is offering the Prism Thorn in sterling silver and 14-karat gold, and the rainbow version is joined by a black spinel edition that pushes the same thorn form into darker territory. The black stone model leans protective and powerful, while the rainbow ring carries the brighter message of joy, visibility, and celebration. That duality gives the design range: one body, two emotional registers.

The Pride-specific component gives the ring a direct civic tie. Kris Averi is donating 25 percent of profits from both Prism Thorn versions to Heritage of Pride through June 30. Heritage of Pride is the nonprofit behind NYC Pride, whose 2026 Pride March is scheduled for June 28. The organization traces its history to Stonewall and describes its mission around LGBTQIA+ visibility, education, commemoration, and celebration.

The launch also fits Kris Averi’s broader identity. Founded in 2017 as Aetheria Jewel, the brand makes one-of-a-kind engagement rings, heirlooms, and personal talismans in New York City, and Harvey has positioned it as an LGBTQ+ inclusive house for people who have never felt they belonged in a jewelry store. Harvey was also listed as a panelist for the June 11 Pride in the Industry conversation at Luminary coworking space in Midtown Manhattan, a reminder that this ring sits inside a larger conversation about who jewelry is for, and what it can say when it is built with intention.