The serene face of the moon inspires the captivating design of this ring by Buana. Expertly carved in cow bone, the moon enlightens an ornate sterling silver ring.
"When I began to work with Novica I started with nothing, I could barely support my family. Today I have a growing workshop, and a number of silversmiths work with me."
Buana is a master silversmith. He designs and crafts his jewelry collection using a combination of traditional and modern jewelry making techniques. Buana and his silversmiths share their knowledge and train younger artisans that join the workshop.
Buana has received 14 microcredit loans with 0% interest from Kiva and Novica, the first for $2400 and the most recent for $7000. Proceeds were used to invest in a purchase of natural gemstones and silver for his jewelry.
I wear this ring almost every day and am constantly getting compliments from people on how beautiful and unusual it is. I hope you're receiving many orders from all the people I've told about Novica! Please keep making these beautiful creations!
This ring was my first purchase from your company and this wonderful artist. The craftsmanship is superb and the detail and the expression of the "Face of the Moon" is the most beautiful I have seen. I have ordered three more items from this artist and I have always been extremely pleased by his work.
I love this ring. It looks just like the picture. It is beautiful. My only problem was I bought it to wear on my middle finger so, I ordered my usual size of a 8 and it didn't fit. I should have ordered a 9. But, it still looks good on my ring finger. Lesson learned.
This artist, Buana, leaves me breathless!!! I wish I could own every single one of his beautiful masterpieces! Thank you for a little slice of heaven!!! Keep creating!!!!
This ring is much larger than expected. The details are very precise and delicate. I ordered another for another person after receiving mine . Nice workmanship.
I had been looking for awhile for a ring like this. It's very pretty and I got alot of compliments on it, great craftsmanship. The stone did fall out after a couple of days, but I didn't lose it and will glue it back in.
My moon ring is a beautiful piece of fine jewelry that I will treasure for many years. The workmanship is expert and the quality is very high. I am proud to own such a fine piece.
Beautiful detailing of the face, and the decorative scrolling on the side is lovely, as well. This is my second "Face of The Moon" ring. My first disappeared somehow, sadly. and I never located it.
Band is solid. Nice and "thick/chunky" but not so thick that it affects bending your finger at all or feels uncomfortable.
The fabric box that it came in is lovely to use for a jewelry box but is also perfect if you are giving this beautiful ring as a gift.
I also love the mini handwritten post cards that the artist includes with their piece of art.
Just received my moon face ring. it's beautiful. So unique and well made. Fits perfect, and looks exactly like the photo image. I'll wear this ring often, and add it to my collection. Came in a very nice box, shown with love and care. Glad I made this fine purchase. Thank you, L. Urso For men and women.
I'm extremely pleased with this beautifully crafted ring. I look forward to wearing it, and already have additional items from this artist in my wish list.
Nice piece. It matches a sun ring I have. This moon ring was more affordable. There is no traditional stamp on the silver to indicate it is sterling silver. I will just have to assume it is. Thank you for such a unique piece.
I am very happy with the ring. It's even more lovely now that I see it compared to it's picture. Wonderful craftsmanship and intricacy. I know I'll be getting a lot of compliments on it's uniqueness. I'm so glad I found your web site. I shall be visiting again.
I bought myself this ring as a present and it arrived a lot sooner than I expected, despite the skipping estimate. I just thought it would take longer than the estimate, seeing as it was coming from Bali, but they sent it really quicker. I am in love with this ring. It's beautifully made and I put it straight on and haven't wanted to take it off since! The face is wonderfully carved and I couldn't be more pleased. It was great to directly support an artist like this. I'm now a fan of Novica and will be recommending this site.
I was skeptical anout this ring. This ring depends entirely on the carving. My face is slighly off center but that does not detract from the carvings beauty. It is a conversation piece, I have never seen anything like this ring in the states. The band is thick and the spirals on the sides are nice. It is a large ring, I bought it to wear on my imdex finger.
I was facing surgery and bought this beautiful ring to bring me calmly through this surgery, and she did! The silver has a beautiful shine but the bone surface is smooth and peaceful. I very much enjoy wearing it and thanks to Buana for his creation.
This ring is absolutely beautiful! It will be a cherished ring always! My compliments to the artist. I will never take it off as long as I live!!
Thank you!! Thank you!! God blessed you with a wonderful talent & God bless you always!!
Love this beautiful ring. The carving of the face of the moon is fantastic. Buana is a awesome artist. Will buy more items. Would love matching earrings and a necklace. Love the beautiful sterling. Very happy with my purchase.
This ring is exactly as it is described - simple in its design but elegant. The moon face is exquisitely carved, and I love looking at it on my finger.
This ring is so beautiful! I really liked it! I've received compliments on it already! I think that the Artist Buana is super talented nd very dedicated to what he does.
It is evident by the craftsmanship of this ring that Buana is gifted and loves creating fine pieces of art in the form of jewelry. I cannot believe I paid less than $40 American dollars for this treasure. I realize this may sound strange, but this ring calms me and brings me peace. It also makes me smile. Thank you, Buana, for sharing your gifts with the rest of us. I am thrilled with this purchase!
For years I have been watching this ring and finally ordered it ! It is so delicate and has such sweet energy that it makes me smile when I look at it ! It just arrived and I know I will wear it often !
To anyone thinking about getting it, do yourself a favor and give yourself this lovely smiling moon and it will charm you !
this ring is very well made, the carving is sweet. it makes me think of the cow moving through the town and gazing at the people. a very friendly feel to this ring.
I received the ring this week and it's stunningly beautiful and will be a unique piece in my jewelry box. The ring size chart was spot-on as the ring was a perfect size to me.
This is a beautiful ring! Even more stunning in person. The packaging nicer than I expected. I will always wear this ring to show off the great craftsmanship.
This ring is even better than expected. So happy to receive such a high quality ring for so little money. Because the band is so wide, I ordered up 1 size and it fit perfect. Thank you.
I bought this not knowing how much I would really wear it because it was so unusual. It has become one of my favorite go-to pieces. Very well crafted and comfortable to wear.
I do love this ring but unfortunately it arrived with a hairline crack on one side of the face. It wasn't visible until I went into sunlight, but I decided to keep it since I have a scar on the same side of my face. If I were buying it again, I would probably go up a size, as it is a very snug fit. Very cool ring though.
LOVE this ring. It's amazingly beautiful and very comfortable. I wear it on special occasions because I am afraid to damage the bone face although I have bonked it a couple of times on hard surfaces and it has remained intact.
I feel bad writing this review - so I put it off until now.
The carving in the picture shows such a serene countenance - beautiful and peaceful.
Mine does not look like that - the carving is too deep and so it looks dirty on the sides of the mouth and the eyes - and also leaves the carving not looking peaceful and all white - not moon-like.
I also ordered the wrong size as I could not be sure - that part is on me - so I just moved the ring to a larger finger - but really - I have only worn it once.
I have been to Bali - many decades ago the people are lovely people - so I didn't want to complain - but I really don't wear the ring - if it looked like the picture - I would wear it.
So sorry.
This ring is very cool!! I would guess it runs a bit small in size as I ordered an 11 and it fits the 10 finger.
The moon face is very distinct and the silver work on the sides is excellent. It is comfortable to wear, and I would recommend it.
Just received my ring all the way from Bali. Not only did I receive the sweetest handwritten card, the ring itself is absolutely beautiful. Fits perfect....craftsmanship is amazing. Now I have a ring to match a sterling silver necklace, ring and earrings also of carved sun and moon themes. The band is very comfortable as well.
I'm going to have a hard time to think of the words to say what I think about this piece and the other pieces I also love. His work is the most exquisite than I had ever seen and probably the best I'll ever see. His imagination and putting it into this amazing carved faces. And the silver!? So delicate features and his signature swirls. God has given you a talent next to none. Thank you so much for making me smile.
I have purchased other items from Buana and they are all very well made and unusual. Love the designs. Well done Buana...and great workmanship and unique pieces of jewelry. Thank you.
This ring is definitely a keeper. The ring is much more prettier in person. Since I received it I won't take it off. It's gorgeous! I know you'll love it as much as I. A great addition to any jewelry wardrobe. I recommend it highly.
"After 13 years since joining Novica, a lot has changed in my life. I own a house which my family and I live in. Joining Novica was a life-changing step that I made. One thing I can do to repay that is to give Novica customers my best products.”
Update (May, 2019)
"My name is I Wayan Buana. I was born in Sukawati, Bali in 1974. My father was a civil servant while my mother was a food seller. I'm the oldest child of 4 siblings. I remember my childhood was so happy; my parents really loved and took care of their children well. Because our family’s economic condition was so limited, I worked after school so I could pay the school fees of my siblings, and also help my parents.
"I like sports like badminton, and I often exercise in Sukawati near my house. In Sukawati, most of the villagers are wood carvers, silversmiths and clothing sellers. It's also famous because of its rich culture and arts. For those who are looking for inspiration, you can find tons of ideas among Bali's tranquil atmosphere and beautiful scenery.
"My enthusiasm in learning about silver jewelry crafting started when I was still in the 6th grade. The father of Novica featured artisan Komang Wijayana was the one who taught me. Once I was around 15, I was finally able to create products by myself and help out with orders from clients.
"I married a Balinese woman who was in a relationship with me since junior high school, and now we have been blessed with 2 daughters and 1 son. The time shortly after we got married was the most difficult time. The economy was not good at all; many people took my silver jewelry but did not pay, and I had to sell my products door to door. The breakthrough happened when I joined with Novica. At that time my first child was already 8 years old. When I remember that time, I always give thanks to God for helping me through that moment. There is one thing that I maintain in this life: that God can give one everything, so just keep praying. One thing that I always pray for is that I can have a long life so I can continue to be in this business and provide for my family.
“I really love making silver jewelry, and I love all of my products, yet there is one product that I feel is especially great, # 139361(the 'Face of the Moon' ring). I am the one that designed it, and all of my products are based on my designs. Usually I draw and design a product, and then I give it to my workers. There are 18 workers that work brilliantly with silver. I am also the one who organizes all of them, based on their skills. We use ordinary tools to produce silver jewelry, such as silver plate tools, scissors, hard saws, and polishing machines.
“Another thing that makes me love making silver jewelry is because I can also preserve my ancestral culture. Most of my silver jewelry is influenced by Balinese traditional culture, and also the nature in Bali. When I got an award from Novica as the best selling artisan in Novica Bali, that motivated me to make better products every time. After 13 years since joining Novica, a lot has changed in my life. My production is now faster, because I have added more tools and that makes all things easier. I own a house which my family and I live in. And that has happened because my income increased significantly when I joined Novica. Joining Novica was a life-changing step that I made. One thing I can do to repay that is to give Novica customers my best products.”
Original Artisan Story
Like most people who were born and live in Gianyar Regency, Buana has been surrounded by handicrafts since he was a child. Gianyar is a part of Bali known throughout the world for its beautiful landscapes and exceptional artistic legacy. Handicrafts like shadow puppets made of cowhide, woodcarving and silver jewelry are created there in towns like Tegalalang, Ubud, Sukawati and Celuk.
In 1990, Buana decided to learn to craft silver jewelry from a friend in Celuk. He learned it all, from the very basic skills like sanding, polishing and making plates to very advanced techniques. Supported by his family, Buana has continued his profession as a silversmith. "I am thankful to God for giving me such a great gift so I can make a living for my family. Not much, perhaps, but enough for our simple way of life," he says. "Hopefully through Novica I can offer a better future to my wife and two children."
I love Novica and Buana exemplifies the ideal Novica artist. His style, attention to detail, imagination and artistry are both exotic and appealing. I haven't acquired a singe item from him that I don't love and I plan to continue augmenting my wife's collection with his items for years to come.
Linda
Unique pendant. Smaller than I thought. I wish the face had been clamped instead of glued to base. Chain is sturdy and a good length. Amethyst is very small. Difficult to see.
Buana has a wonderful talent for working with bone. The faces he creates are so expressive and are combined with all the other elements beautifully. I love my 'Sleepy Moon' necklace.
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