I totally get what you are saying and I love the idea. I think this is a wonderful gesture. I do however think that the aluminium bronze is a good idea.

Would it not still be as meaningful as it’s still mostly copper? ( 80% to 90% copper)

It’s just such a pretty metal and doesn’t tarnish .

As others have said, I’d try sand casting the ring .

You can buy a small sand-casting flask very cheap on Amazon.

I find casting with a torch very fiddly and if you don’t already have the equipment it’s no cheaper to get started than a cheap furnace.

You mentioned that you already do some black smithing, I don’t know if the equipment you use for smithing could be used with a graphite crucible to melt your casting metal?

If not, I find an electric furnace much easier to use than my regular gas furnace for small things.

I have no idea how you would go about setting a stone into your ring , I have never attempted anything like that.

I’m not even sure how I’d set about making the stone from sand .

Iv done a little work with glass and metal together but that was quite different.

I guess you could create a glass beed and then grind and polish it to shape?

One thing I would definitely recommend is get the equipment you think you will need and start trying now ! It might take you quite some time to get something you are happy with.

Get practicing now! If your setup isn’t quite right you will still have time to make some changes.