S925 Silver South Red Agate Samantabhadra Open Ring

In the Huayan triad, Vairocana sits at the centre, Manjushri on the left for wisdom and Samantabhadra on the right for practice and vows. One is about seeing a thing through to understanding, the other about carrying it through to the end, and either without the other is only half. Samantabhadra's mount is a six-tusked white elephant, and the six tusks correspond to the six perfections, a correspondence stated plainly in the sutras. His vows are the largest of any bodhisattva. The chapter on his vows lists ten, beginning with paying respect to all Buddhas and ending with dedicating merit universally. The ten are not ten regulations but a sequence that stretches the capacity of the mind.

Samantabhadra on a ring is usually a profile of the figure seated on the elephant, or simply the head. This one is an open band with southern red agate set into the face. Southern red is a variety of agate, running from cherry red to persimmon, graded by colour in the trade and checked for cracks. Set into a ring face, the stone has to be thin. Thick and it stands proud and knocks against everything; too thin and the colour goes transparent, so a layer is placed beneath it. The red of southern red is on the deep side, less loud than cinnabar. A set face sits a level above a plain band, so be careful of table edges.

The open band is convenient. One size covers several fingers, and there is no need to ask too many questions when giving it. The gap is placed at the back, where it cannot be seen from the front. Adjust both sides together; silver springs back and force will not bring it round again. The open section is where the ring takes the strain, so do not wear it to lift anything heavy or twist off a cap. The inside is polished, so it does not rub the skin over long wear, and the two ends turn slightly inward, which gives your fingers something to press against.

Southern red dislikes both knocks and sun. Take it off for housework and do not leave it on a windowsill. Take it off in the shower as well, because soapy water collects in the setting and dulls it over time. The silver around the setting darkens before the band does, so stop the cloth at the edge of the stone and press rather than rub. The red shifts with the light: orange in daylight, deeper under a lamp. That is not the colour fading.

As a gift, Samantabhadra is not the busiest of themes, and whoever receives it probably does care about this particular line. No long card is needed; the two characters for vow and practice are enough. Southern red dislikes perfume, so spray away from the hand. If the joint of the little finger is thick, open the band wider before putting it on. A soft cloth in the box is more use than any instruction leaflet.