Ripley — 1 of 1 — A commanding presence defined by precision and strength. The cut reveals depth through light, shifting with quiet intensity. There is something inside. It adapts, waits, and does not die easily.
This is the final piece of the collection. I immediately fell in love with the depth achieved within the stone and knew it had to be mine. The dimensions were absolutely perfect for my labret. While at the Tucson Gem Show, Jutta mentioned they had been referring to this cut as “Dragon’s Egg,” which instantly sent my mind to the thought of “H.R. Giger if he designed gemstones.”
Once that connection was made, I knew the piece had to be named Ripley from Alien. The final girl. The ultimate final girl. Strong, commanding, unshaken under pressure, and always willing to see the job through to the end.
Ripley does not simply exist as jewelry — it demands attention and acknowledgment. The depth of the cut shifts endlessly with movement and light, giving the piece an almost living presence.
Thank you all for following along as I’ve shared each piece and what it means to me. This collection was truly a bucket-list dream, and I could not be happier with how it came together. A huge thank you to @nickmartin128 and @kerryricemartin for hearing me out and believing in this project from the beginning. Another huge thank you to Jutta, Philipp, and Jörg from @ateliermunsteiner for supporting the vision and creating these incredible stones for the collection. I am unbelievably proud of these pieces.
“This is Ripley, last survivor of the Nostromo, signing off.”
Torrence — 1 of 1 — Duality in a battle for ground. Light and Darkness meet within a single, striking form.
This Ametrine is special. The colors battling it out. The sharp facets vs the round facets competeing for a strong hold. This had to be come part of the collection. BVLA and myself did go back and forth on the design. We opted to do a closed backing to the gemstone so the detailed cuts show through without distraction.
Once seen as a piece, I struggled with the name. I knew I wanted to reference the Shining and thought this piece captivates the character and the film nicely. Was originally considering naming it Overlook, as in the Overlook Hotel. But didn’t quite feel fitting. I thought, Danny, but that was too Childish… but Torrence, the last name of the family in The Shining, is absolutely perfect.
Torrence is a navel piece with the unique blend of Amethyst and Citrine set in 14k yellow gold. It will fit a 14g 7/16" and is a comfort fit setting so it will work in traditional navels and even floating navels. You get lost in its gaze. Losing track of time and self. It grows into you until it’s too late and you are trapped — isolated. All of a sudden there’s a bang and you hear, “Here’s Johnny!”
Thulsa — 1 of 1 (SOLD)— Hypnotic, underlying control. Quiet, patient, still. When it strikes, you do not even realize it is too late and your fate has already been sealed. It is simply too powerful.
This piece was designed as the counterpart to Taramis: one a Queen, the other a Conqueror. Philipp Munsteiner wanted to show us an alternative approach to the newly reimagined stone design and explore how different faceting could completely transform the character of the piece. Out of all the citrine cuts created for the collection, this one is my personal favorite. I love the fanned-out facets and the bold geometry it carries.
Like Taramis, Thulsa takes its name from a character within the Conan universe. Thulsa Doom was a childhood favorite of mine. James Earl Jones’ booming voice and commanding presence made the character unforgettable. He exuded confidence, strength, and control. And, of course, the ability to transform into a serpent absolutely shattered my childhood brain.
Thulsa draws you in through presence alone. The citrine fantasy septum cut stone can be worn in a variety of locations. It’s 14k yellow gold with a textured edge. It grips something deep within you, refusing to let go once your attention has settled on it. You kneel before its beauty and power, finally understanding the meaning behind Thulsa’s words:
“Steel isn’t strong, boy, flesh is stonger”
Lamia — 1 of 1 — There is something living within the structure. Fine strands trace their own path, ensnaring all those engulfed by its gaze. Once acknowledged… you cannot… get… away.
Lamia is the second charm in the collection. I immediately fell in love with this stone because the accent facets, though minimal, perfectly highlight the structural beauty of the rutilated quartz without overpowering it. My original idea was to create this as an industrial piece, but the scale was just slightly too large. Once again, we found ourselves balancing the realities of body jewelry with the proportions of traditional jewelry design, ultimately shifting the concept into something far more adaptable.
We discussed how the setting itself could complement the stone rather than compete with it. Because the facets extend all the way to the edge, BVLA had the brilliant idea of cutting away portions of the setting to expose and emphasize the stone’s geometry while minimizing the amount of visible metal. We also chose an open-back setting in 14k white gold to allow as much light as possible to pass through the quartz.
Lamia features an exceptional cut of rutilated quartz set in 14k white gold. The piece was intentionally designed to move. Suspended from a single chain, the charm is able to slide and shift freely with the body. Its versatility allows it to be worn in a wide variety of placements, including industrials, conches, helixes, and lobes.
Named after the Lamia Curse from Drag Me to Hell by Sam Raimi, Lamia captures the attention of anyone who encounters it. Much like the curse itself, it lingers long after the initial encounter — impossible to ignore, impossible to escape. Once it has attached itself to you, there is no getting away from it. You simply learn to live with its presence.
Paimon — 1 of 1 — Clarity without warmth. Light refracts cleanly, revealing a presence that feels both distant and absolute. Summoned, not invited. Precision gives way to something that will not leave.
This was the second piece produced for the collection and one of the pieces I brought with me to Germany when visiting Atelier Munsteiner alongside Linnea. Once again, one of the greatest challenges of this collaboration was bridging the world of traditional jewelry with the world of body piercing. In conventional jewelry, size and weight are often flexible, but in body jewelry, proportion, balance, and wearability become critical.
Paimon helped bring those realities into sharper perspective. Many of the stones Munsteiner creates are simply too large or too heavy for our purposes, regardless of how beautiful they may be. This piece was also an important learning experience for me personally. My instinct is often to add more — more diamonds, more flash. But with Munsteiner’s fantasy-cut stones, too much embellishment distracts from the true centerpiece. BVLA had the brilliant idea of accenting only one side with diamonds, allowing the aquamarine to remain the focus while perfectly complementing the piece.
Paimon is crafted in 14k yellow gold with aquamarine and genuine white diamonds. Designed as a custom comfort-fit navel piece, it is 14g with a 3/8” wearing length. Depending on anatomy, it can also be worn beautifully in a rook piercing.
Named after King Paimon from Hereditary, the piece embodies a presence that feels both elegant and unsettling. The stepped cuts carved into the aquamarine reminded me of the ascension in the film’s final scene — cold, ceremonial, and impossible to look away from. Beautiful in form, yet impossible to ignore once invited in.
ALL HAIL PAIMON.
Starling — 1 of 1 — Composure maintained under scrutiny, where silence carries more than what is said. Lost in its simplicity and elegance, all noise stops dead in its tracks.
When Jörg first showed me these gemstones, I knew exactly what they were destined to become. Too heavy for traditional earrings, they felt perfectly suited for larger-gauge weights. These are the pieces I am most proud of in the entire collection and the ones that went through the most revisions.
One of my biggest goals was to create a locking mechanism for the saddles so they would not accidentally fall out of the wearer’s ear; something many of us who wear weights have experienced firsthand. I worked closely with the BVLA team to develop a clicker mechanism that swings to the side for insertion into the lobe. Once inserted, the pivoting backing swings closed and locks securely into place.
We wanted the design of the saddle itself to accentuate the shape and faceting of the stone, and I feel we achieved that beautifully. These ultimately came out even better than I had imagined when the concept first existed only in my head. BVLA absolutely knocked this one out of the park.
Starling features custom-cut amethyst set in 14k white gold and will fit 00g and larger lobes. Designed as a functional weight while maintaining the presence of fine jewelry, the piece balances boldness with elegance. Though substantial in form, the movement and silhouette remain soft and refined.
Named after Clarice Starling from The Silence of the Lambs, the piece embodies composure under pressure, observant, intelligent, and quietly powerful… silencing the screams of the lambs.
Taramis — 1 of 1 — Radiant and composed. Warm tones are shaped with intention, balancing power with elegance. Light bends to structure, revealing control beneath the surface.
The septum pieces were where my mind immediately went when we first began brainstorming this collection. During our initial meetings, Jörg, who works closely with the Munsteiners, showed us several stones that were close to the size and shape we envisioned for these designs. They were close, but not quite there, and the geometry required to make these pieces work became the real challenge. As deadlines approached, it started to feel like these pieces were either going to happen or not happen at all.
While in Germany, Philipp, Jutta, Jörg, and I continued refining the concept together. Once Philipp fully understood the vision I was trying to achieve, everything clicked into place, resulting in this beautiful final piece.
Taramis features a custom-cut citrine set in 14k white gold. I have always loved mixed textures, so we chose a clean polished edge that transitions into a textured surface. Philipp and BVLA were also able to engineer the setting with an open edge to maximize the amount of light and color moving through the gemstone.
Named after Queen Taramis from Conan the Destroyer, I felt this piece captured her essence perfectly — regal, calculated, and commanding. While originally designed for the septum, like many septum pieces, Taramis can also be beautifully worn in a daith piercing.
Sawyer — 1 of 1 — An unsettling warmth. The glow flickers closely. Who will survive, and what will be left of them?
The fire opal evokes something visceral and raw, perfectly complemented by the warmth of the rose gold to create that unmistakable Texas summer feeling. As it moves, the charm catches the light, casting flashes of shimmer and fire from the opal.
Named after the Sawyer family from The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, one of my favorite horror films of all time, the piece immediately reminded me of the film’s sepia tones and oppressive heat. The chain itself felt reminiscent of Leatherface’s favored tool — the chainsaw — while the movement of the hanging charm brought to mind the final scene of the film, with Leatherface swinging the saw wildly in frustration after failing to claim his final victim. Sawyer feels timeless to me and would make a striking addition to any collection.
Sawyer is crafted in 14k rose gold and features a jump ring designed to fit up to 14g. I wanted this piece to feel versatile enough to work beautifully in a variety of ear piercings or even as a navel charm.
Rosemary — 1 of 1 — Softly subdued. A quiet expression of depth, where simplicity reveals its own complexity.
The amethyst in this setting is truly special. Inspired by a settings often used by Jutta Munsteiner, it allows the stone to radiate beautifully. The satin finish of the gold pairs perfectly with the deep, precise cuts of the gem, creating a striking contrast between softness and structure.
Named after the film Rosemary’s Baby, the name felt like a natural fit for this piece. The comfort-fit navel design feels nurturing, strong, and resilient — much like Rosemary herself throughout the film. I have always loved incorporating different textures into gold finishing, as it completely changes the character and feeling of a piece.
Rosemary is crafted in 14k yellow gold in a 14g 3/8” comfort-fit design. It was created to work beautifully in both traditional and floating navel piercings. Theoretically, it could also be worn in a rook or even a vertical labret, though it would require specific anatomy, it would create a much bolder look in those areas.
Monolith — 1 of 1 — An object without origin. Edges cut clean against space, existing with quiet, immovable, and timeless intent. Standing firmly between fields of existence.
This gemstone was one of the first Munsteiner pieces that truly caught my attention when I first met the family in 2024. The clarity was incredible, and the cuts accentuated the shape flawlessly. It was far too large for most traditional piercing jewelry, but felt perfectly suited for a coinslot.
Named after the Monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey, this piece acts as a gateway between body jewelry and art. This coinslot cuff features a hinged clicking gate that swings open for insertion and locks securely into place. I wanted it to resemble dripping, melting gold as a subtle nod to my love of drip and fashion.
Monolith features quartz set in 14k yellow gold and was designed specifically for coinslots. It has a 5/16” wearing diameter and is intended for healed coinslots measuring 5/16” or larger. It feels as though it exists at the edge of both the piercing and body mod worlds.
Linnea — 1 of 1 — They Will Leave You Screaming!
These are the pieces that started it all. Linnea was the first design produced for the collaboration — the piece that launched the entire collection. I brought them with me to Germany to meet the @ateliermunsteiner family: Jutta, Philipp, and Jörg. I wanted to have something tangible in hand to help show what we were trying to create and to give them a better understanding of how body jewelry is an entirely different beast from traditional jewelry. Because of that, these pieces hold a very special place in my heart.
Linnea features citrine set in 14k yellow gold, finished with jump rings that fit up to 14 gauge. Linnea, named after one of my favorite Scream Queens, I wanted them to be versatile. To have the ability to move beyond a single placement. In these photos, Linnea is shown on @bvla Ocean Three Barbells with genuine white diamonds, though the pieces also would be beautifully displayed in various ear placements, including industrials, conches, and lobes.
Today marks 20 years of Shaman Modifications and it’s surreal. I’m not exactly the event-planning type, but I knew I had to do something big. So, after 2 years & 16,000 miles, I’m beyond proud to unveil THE COLLECTION, a collaboration that’s truly a labor of love. Shoutout to @bvla and the @ateliermunsteiner family for their expertise and patience. Thanks to our customers and collectors for the love and support over the years - it means the world!
#shamanmods #keepaustinmodified #shamanmodifications #bvlalove #munsteiner
