Cecilia

This ring has been named after the remarkable Barbara McClintock, the pioneering American geneticist whose incredible discovery of "jumping genes" revolutionized our understanding of how genetic information is organized and controlled. Born on June 16, 1902, in Hartford, Connecticut, McClintock showed an early independence of mind and took great pleasure in science as a child. After enrolling as a biology major at Cornell University in 1919, she received her Ph.D. in 1927 and began the chromosomal analysis of corn (maize) that would occupy her entire professional life. During graduate school, McClintock developed innovative techniques that allowed her to examine, identify, and describe individual corn chromosomes under the microscope. In 1931, she and student Harriet Creighton published ground-breaking research that provided the first experimental proof that genes were physically positioned on chromosomes, demonstrating the physical basis for genetic inheritance. This work established her as a leading geneticist, and she was elected vice president of the Genetics Society of America in 1939. McClintock's most extraordinary discovery came in the 1940s and 1950s when she observed that some genes could actually move from one location to another within chromosomes—a phenomenon she called "transposable elements" or "jumping genes." By studying the alternating colour patterns in corn kernels, she realized that genes weren't static entities arranged like beads on a string, but dynamic elements that could jump to new positions, turning neighbouring genes on or off. Her discovery challenged the fundamental understanding of genetics at the time. When McClintock presented her findings at the 1951 Cold Spring Harbor Symposium, the audience met her revolutionary ideas with "puzzlement, even hostility." Her work was so far ahead of its time that she stopped publishing her results and ceased giving lectures, though she continued her research. It wasn't until the 1960s and 1970s, when molecular biology advanced enough to confirm her findings in bacteria and other organisms, that the scientific community finally recognized her genius. In 1983, more than 30 years after her initial discovery, McClintock was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine "for her discovery of mobile genetic elements." She remains the only woman to receive an unshared Nobel Prize in that category. Today, we know that transposable elements make up about 45% of the human genome and play crucial roles in evolution, gene regulation, and even disease. Like the alternating pattern of diamonds in this elegant ring, McClintock's jumping genes create beautiful, complex patterns that govern the very essence of life itself.

Our skilled team digitally creates all images in our 'Create Your Ring Online' selection. The images are not photographs but are photorealistic. Most are designed with the aid of AI, and many start with a sketch on paper or Procreate as their foundation. Many are reworked with Photoshop. This is to create the most accurate images of rings that are yet to be made, providing a representation of how these rings will look in person. Once you choose your design, we will create your ring to the specifications you have chosen, including width and ring size. We guarantee your ring will be very close to, if not exactly the same as, the supplied images in line with Australian consumer law. The ring you will receive is unique to you.

If you prefer to see photos of a real ring that is available for purchase from our inventory, check out our 'Ready to Wear' collection. Here, you'll find a curated selection of unique rings that our team has carefully crafted. These are available for immediate shipping or pickup from our store in Adelaide's East End.

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Sourcing - Ethical
+ Australian Gold. Locally sourced from a Responsible Jewellery Council Member
Traceable Indian Lab Diamonds
One tree Planted for every purchase

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