How Machine Gun Kelly made Megan Fox's engagement ring

It was the moment that confirmed their status as the next great rock’n’roll couple: Colson Baker, aka Machine Gun Kelly, presented his girlfriend Megan Fox with a white gold ring on 13th January, before celebrating by drinking each other's blood. Improbably enough, this isn't the most unusual aspect of the engagement.

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The ring itself was designed by London jeweller Stephen Webster, best known for his gothic designs for everyone from Elizabeth Taylor to Ozzy Osbourne, Madonna, Sir Elton John and Christina Aguilera. Fox's ring was created with extensive input by Baker himself as it unusually features both their birthstones: an untreated Colombian emerald (for Fox) and an antique cut diamond (for Kelly), set on two interlocking magnetic bands of thorns. “The bands are actually thorns. So if she tries to take it off, it hurts… Love is pain” was Baker’s explanation. SPHERE got in touch with Webster to get the inside track on one of the most talked about jewellery pieces of the year.

How and when did Colson Baker first approach you?
Colson had seen our Seven Deadly Sins collection over 10 years ago but at the time couldn’t afford one. But they stuck with him, which is a brilliant part of the story. I didn’t know anything about MGK apart from he was a pretty snappy dresser and was going out with Megan Fox, so that was a good start!

He approached us not even three months ago and was very excited by the fact that by coming to me, he was going to end up with a ring that people would talk about. That seemed like it was important to him. As I got to know him more, I learnt that’s what he is all about. He’s like a canvas, whether its tattoos or the way he dresses, everything about him has got a real sense of theatre - which you could say we have about our jewellery too, so that felt right and got me excited.

What was Colson’s original brief and did he reference anything when discussing the ring?
It was really about me extracting from him, which was quite easy, the things that would end up being personal. You want to feel if you are going to give, or receive, a ring that holds a lot of emotions, it has to be something that feels connected to one or both parties; so in this case we were able to establish where they feel they are connected and represent that with their two birthstones.

I felt that a lot of what he fed to me I was going to easily be able to express in a Stephen Webster piece of jewellery. The fact we managed to incorporate two souls becoming one with two rings that have no mechanism, but internal magnets just added to the romance, which Colson loved and now is pretty obvious the world loves too. This technical use of magnets is something that we can play with a lot more the fact that we could introduce it in this way is just phenomenal. 

What makes Colson and Megan so special as a couple?
They are definitely connected that’s for sure. You can’t have one person who is either one of them and the other that’s not, I don’t think it would work. They are in that together and I think that is so brilliant. They are obviously peas from a pod, or something along those lines; and that is not bad basis for starting a relationship. I’ve not met Megan yet, but Colson and I have spoken a lot and he is pretty incredible. His energy and diversity is something quite extraordinary. He’s not just a singer who has done a bit of acting he is really in this game. He said to me in the UK he would stand outside Brixton Academy before his gig and think, is anyone going to turn up? Yet this year he is playing Wembley! So I think that’s part of his progression as an artist, he is certainly one to watch and is very entertaining.

How long did it take to make their specific ring and how many people worked on it?
I think the whole process probably took about six weeks. But once the hurdle of getting ideas and concepts together it’s really about being a jeweller and putting in everything you know. What probably took as long as making the piece of jewellery was sourcing the stones. Because there has been so many restrictions on travel it was hard to source and I need to have something in front of me to know it's right, especially when it comes to an emerald. Emeralds aren’t like diamonds, they are all slightly different and inclusions are very characteristic and in the end I had about five that could have worked - but then there the one. 

If SPHERE readers want to commission something similar, what would the price be? 
It is impossible to say, it’s down to the gems as they are the real hero of the ring, and like every bespoke piece you work to budgets or briefs. But we do have a newly launched alternative bridal collection out which is The No Regrets Chapel and can be found online or in our Mount Street Salon, Mayfair. 

Explore the No Regrets Chapel and bespoke services at Stephenwebster.com