There’s always a captain, the one calling the turns and reading the water. But it’s the crew that makes the boat move. The hands that raise the sails. The hands that pull the lines. The quiet teamwork that turns effort into forward motion. That idea—of many working as one—is at the heart of this ring.
The day Keith introduced Crew to us, he said, “You’re going to love this one.” He described a bold center gem, held by sweeping lines of gold that rise diagonally from each side, wrapping the stone in a strong, protective embrace—like well-secured lines on a ship. Then he pointed out the two small diamonds, bright and precise. “They’re like light on the water,” he said. Small, but essential.
When he finally placed the ring in my hand, I understood immediately. It was pure. Confident. Unlike anything I’d seen before. The two diamonds are tucked into the inner edges of the gold—set so cleanly they feel inevitable, as if they were always meant to be there. Clean lines. No excess. Just purpose and beauty working together.
Crew is low-profile, smooth to the touch, and remarkably comfortable—designed to be worn every day for decades. The three stones sit close to the finger, secure and grounded, just as a racing boat rides low and fast on the water.
Motion on the Water
I still remember the first time I ever saw crew racing on the Charles River in Boston—long, narrow crew boats cutting through the water. Eight people breathing as one, trusting the rhythm completely. And at the stern, the coxswain—calling the plan, steadying the team, guiding the course. It’s a powerful thing to watch. Strength, precision, and trust, all moving together.
This ring carries that same feeling. A wave of gold sweeps in from left and right, holding the center gem at bow and stern. The two diamonds stand like oars flashing in the light—small sparks that complete the motion.
If there were ten rings every woman should own as a right-hand ring, Crew would be one of them. It’s fundamentally pure. Beautiful. And built to move forward.
The Gem
The center stone in this Crew ring is a spessartite garnet, and it feels like autumn captured in color. Its glowing fire sits somewhere between ember and sunset. It’s the color of turning leaves, of last light on a cold evening, of warmth held just as the air begins to cool. In this design, that autumn glow becomes the heart of the ring—steady, confident, and full of quiet energy. This garnet is a perfect match for a ring built on motion, teamwork, and forward momentum.
About the Trade Wind Collection:
Where does inspiration come from? Where do the creative sparks for design begin? For Cross’ new Trade Wind Jewelry Collection, we find ourselves drawn into the story of Captain John Henry Drew, from Gardiner, Maine. Born in 1834, he grew up the son of a Ship’s Carver, and went to sea at the age of 15, eventually becoming Captain of a series of clipper ships, and traveling from New York to China and back home, when that voyage took more than seventeen months.
Instead of carving or knotting or other hobbies that were characteristic of sailors, this mostly self-educated man read books, memorized details from newspapers, and wrote about his journey—his literal and his inner journey. His hand-written and personally illustrated journals tell us of his longing for Maine, for his family, and for “making something of himself”. He is very much like you and me, and it makes his story that much more compelling. He savors apples from home, as tasting better than apples from anywhere else. He imagines the scene he might see looking in the window at home, where his family sits, and he chastises himself for not getting more done at home when he was there.
The jewelry in our Trade Wind Collection is made by his great-great-great grandson, Keith. This young man went to sea as well, at age 18. As part of his service to the US Navy, his travels took him to many of the same places his great-great-great grandfather’s clipper ships visited. Keith also had a hobby unconventional for sailors— he had a fascination for gems and he studied gemology. He studied so that when his service was completed, he could become a jeweler. As Keith traveled the world, he collected exquisite gems, and after leaving the service and returning home, he mastered the art of fine jewelry making.
It is now decades later. We met Keith for the first time in March, 2014. We were impressed with his jewelry, and as we talked further, discovered he had a clipper ship sea captain ancestor and became intrigued with the parallels of his journey in life with that of his sea captain forebear.
The parallels in the two stories are expressed in the jewelry itself—the exotic colors, the flow of the designs, the attention to detail which is something passed down in this family—whether it is to protect the ship, its cargo and its crew, or to create a design that will last and protect its valuable gems, giving the wearer the same pleasure we experience when a ship at full sail goes by. You can’t help but stop and exclaim, “Isn’t that beautiful?”
We were hooked by this story, and by the jewelry. We think you will be too. In fact, we’re posting pages from Captain Drew’s journals from the Voyage of the Franklin in 1868. Take a few minutes to join in the journey, and think of those you love most, and rejoice if they are right there with you.
Two Fascinating Views of Southeast Asia
1. Keith’s yearly expeditions– Personal views of Thailand
2. Keith’s great-great-grandfather’s clipper ship trips to Southeast Asia from the captain’s personal journals
