We can't believe we never thought of this before. After a good friend of ours lost her engagement ring, she decided to put some of the money from the ring's insurance into some permanent body art. While she went with a big natural vine design — which looks absolutely stunning on her, by the way — the idea of buying something beautiful that it's basically impossible to lose is pretty darn appealing. And because carat size isn't limited when getting a gemstone tattoo, we can always opt for the biggest diamond we feel like, and as many strings of pearls and rubies around it as we feel like. Basically, it's a great way to fulfill some pretty serious Cinderella fantasies without going broke (and without contributing to a system that has some severe human rights abuses to its name).
But although we love these gorgeous jewelry tattoos and want to cover ourselves head-to-toe with trompe l'oeil gemstones right now, they're of course not the only inspiration for tattoos out there. Love itself can be the inspiration for a heartfelt tattoo that has all the romance in the world anyone could want. For those getting a first tattoo or who want something that reminds them of jewelry but in a less literal way, tiny tattoos might be the way to go, and there's a lot of inspiration out there for micro tattoos. While there's absolutely nothing wrong with knowing that what's right for us is a big gorgeous sleeve, it can be intimidating, so these smaller tattoos can be a good way to ease into the waters and figure out if tattoos are right for us.
This Emerald Fantasy
Fans of the emerald will be head over heels for this body art from Australia-based tattoo artist Karlla Mendes. It's a perfect color for opening up emotionally, as emerald is associated with the heart chakra in Indian culture.
This Long Full Leg Tattoo
This large tattoo extends down the entire side of the subject's leg. It's such an unusual choice, and it's fantastic, or as one of the commenters says, "Excellence elegance and no less than epic!"
This Turquoise Elephant
Elephants are amazing animals, and we have a soft spot for tattoos that honor them — especially when they're gem-encrusted. The turquoise-colored gemstones are gorgeous.
This Art Nouveau Snake & Opal Arm Cuff
Arm cuffs and snakes go hand-in-hand, but this tattoo designer wrapped the reptile around a gleaming, realistic opal. Making the design even more gasp-worthy is its Art Nouveau aesthetic.
This Sapphire Thigh Tattoo
This tattoo is so unusually placed — we love that it's gracing the top of the thigh almost like a garter. The setting for the gemstone is really delicate, like it's really made out of very thin chains, and we think it's extremely pretty.
This Light-Refracting Tattoo
This tattoo looks so realistic, like the light is really refracting off the metalwork and gemstones. We're not sure what this green-and-pink gemstone is, but there are some topazes that look like this — great for a November birthday.
This Cool Crow Tattoo
This crow has stolen a beautiful ruby necklace for itself. We're not sure of the tattoo's intended meaning or significance, but traditionally, crows tend to symbolize creativity and wisdom.
This Ruby & Gold Foot Tattoo
We love the color scheme of this foot tattoo, which reminds us of Wonder Woman. We know that's a painful place to get a tattoo, so it would be a big deal to be inspired by this for something in the same place … but it does look really cool.
This Ruby Lotus
We adore this lotus tattoo that incorporates a gigantic ruby gemstone and then long sapphire droplets with some delicate chainwork beneath, too. The gemstone looks really alive with fire, but has beautiful flower leaves, as well.
This Blue Diamond Tattoo
This filigree tattoo looks like something a very cool Disney princess would rock. For some reason, it kind of reminds us of Cinderella. The combination of diamonds and pearls in a variety of shapes really adds to the design.
This Cool Belly Tattoo
This sapphire belly tattoo is on such an uncommon location for one of these pieces — almost all of the rest we've seen have been on arms or legs. But it really honors this woman's curves, and we think it's beautiful on her.
This Amethyst Brooch Tattoo
This antique-style amethyst brooch tattoo is absolutely real-looking. We're amazed at how it looks like it really catches light. For anyone whose birthday is in February, which has amethyst as its birthstone, this would be a great tattoo.
This Pink & Purple Gem Tattoo
We love how great the trompe l'oeil element is here — the pink and purple gemstones are so incredibly realistic, like they're really refracting light, and the pearl looks like it's somehow glowing from inside.
This Tiara-Inspired Tattoo
We're in love with the incredible detail in the work this artist does, which is featured a few times here. The moonstones in this piece are remarkably beautiful and look so exceptionally real. It's so elegant, too.
This Watercolor Galaxy Diamond
One part futuristic, another part classic and romantic, this diamond-inspired tattoo appears to be bleeding an array of whimsical colors. A tattoo like this can't help but set an imagination ablaze. The intricate details and stunning placement truly make this a masterpiece.
This Kinda Scary Cameo
OK, this one manages to be both stunningly beautiful and creepy. The pearl framing of this cameo portrait is so stunning, and the fact that the face of the Victorian lady is really a skull … it's beautiful and creepy all at once.
This Mermaid Anklet
We love that this jeweled anklet tattoo was was designed by the client herself — and that the shells and fish scales it incorporates makes it really feel really like something a mermaid would wear if she had legs, too.
This Celestial Ruby Tattoo
A ruby is the centerpiece of this jaw-dropping piece, which also features a woman holding balloons in the form of planets and strings of more rubies and pearls. Talk about a showstopper.
This Lace- and Feather-Inspired Anklet
Romantic is the perfect word to describe this simple but intricate peace that resembles a lacy anklet. Adding even more whimsy: a dangling feather.
This Ruby & Ivy Masterpiece
This tattoo is so stunningly gorgeous. It works so well because it incorporates the natural, organic elements of ivy and pearls in addition to the large ruby centerpiece. One of the commenters said it looks like Christmas, and that's so true.
Another Beautiful Thigh Piece
The seaside theme of this delicate tattoo seems to be comprised of a sapphire, moonstones, blue topaz, and amethyst, as well as tiny seed pearls. The seashell is a lovely setting for it, too.
This Turquoise, Fuchsia & Violet Body Jewelry
Dripping with radiant jewels, this anklet in body art form was created by a tattoo artist in Korea. The dimension, which makes it look real at first glimpse, is so pretty.
This Bracelet Tattoo
While a colorful tattoo has its place, we're also big fans of really simple, black linework, especially when it's used to form a beautiful bracelet like this one, accented by roses and fine filigree chains.
This Floral Ring
Sometimes ring tattoos are used as a wedding or engagement ring, which can look great. They can also just be a great, decorative piece. This one is so colorful and delicate-looking.
This Chandelier Earring
Color is beside the point when it comes to the wow-worthy detail of this chandelier earring tattoo from a Cleveland artist named Brittany Rusznak. The delicate design takes one's breath away. We love the grandiose but delicate style.
This Moon-Inspired Arm Cuff
A tattoo artist in Seoul used a bejeweled, floral moon motif for this stunning arm cuff. The description: "Rose gold moon bracelet." Gorgeous.
This Amethyst Sleeve Tattoo
This sleeve tattoo is so unusual. It's made of a large amethyst, a multicolored moonstones, and a setting that looks like it might be made of platinum or silver. It's so interesting that a sleeve looks this delicate, and we're really feeling it.
This Crescent Chest Tattoo
This chest piece is a big, bold statement, while still being fragile and delicate-looking. And we also love that while the tattoo has symmetry to it, it's not overly perfect — the moons are different colors.
This Cherry Blossom Tattoo
There's so much to love about this cherry blossom tattoo, which traditionally is a memento mori, or a reminder of death usually used to inspire us to live our lives as fully as possible. Paired with a gemstone, it feels like both a combination of eternity and the fleeting nature of life.
This Blue Roses & Heart of the Ocean Piece
The jewel at the center of this piece brings to mind the Heart of the Ocean from Titanic, while the blue roses almost feel like a nod to Alice in Wonderland. Combine the two cinematic components, and suddenly a breathtakingly imaginative piece is born.
This Ornament Piece
A glowing big, bold sapphire is the focal point of this dramatic ornament piece from Vanylla Art Tattoo. Fans of the September birthstone or simply the color cerulean would be over the moon for this look. we love how unapologetically luxurious it is.
