Their slogan says it all. "Wrap the world around your finger," and they mean it literally.

The small West Seattle business is known as The Giving Ring and it is literally changing the world one ring at a time by donating 100 percent of its net profits to 10 beneficiaries located all over the globe.

"I operate this as a small business that donates profit, because I believe very strongly that global sustainability is the responsibility of all businesses," says owner Susan Stein Quattrociocchi, who also runs a small Japanese acupressure business known as Stone Lily. "I am very small, but intend to grow, and as I do, The Giving Ring will continue to give away all net profits."

Inspired by the philanthropic nature of her mother, Stein Quattrociocchi launched The Giving Ring last year in December when she envisioned helping the world through something she loved, jewelry.

"I was always drawn to the symbolism of jewelry and why people wear it," said the 45-year-old West Seattle resident. "And then I thought, wouldn't it be wonderful to create a symbol around the concept of giving and compassion, so from there I was just really drawn to Tibetan jewelry design."

Eleven months later, Stein Quattrociocchi continues to make that vision a reality. "The women who helped make this happen were my friends - all women who believe in the concept and were willing to do it for free," she said. "And that's why I feel like the idea of The Giving Ring is about building a ring or a circle of people who are focused in this direction."

Stein Quattrociocchi and Cindi Hansen, owner of Goldmine Design located on First Avenue in downtown, designed a ring that would symbolize feminine power, wisdom, love, grace and enlightenment.

"I was excited (about this project)," said Hansen. "She's doing something really special, and I wanted to help her do it. This is a way for us to put good karma out there."

When Stein Quattrociocchi and Hansen finished the design of the ring in November of last year, they originally planned to work with a family from Tibet. However, after the web site was launched, the manufacturer backed out, and Stein Quattrociocchi was forced to look elsewhere.

In February, Denise Attwood, a friend who works for the Ganesh Himal Trading Company based in Spokane, took The Giving Ring prototype to Nepal and found Chet Bahadur, a 33-year-old skilled, fair-trade artisan from the Newari tribe in the Kathmandu Valley. Bahadur, who has been a jeweler in Nepal for 14 years, refers to the rings as "the special rings,'" because of what they represent and the purpose they serve.

He handcrafts each individual ring with intricate Tibetan patterns and designs to resemble the constellation of Columba stars and the elements of Japanese acupressure: earth, water, wood, fire, air and space.

Once each ring is carefully carved out, it is brought back to Seattle where it is set with a green tourmaline, representing the Earth and an open heart.

The rings are sold for $189 and can be found on www.thegivingring.com or at Hansen's Goldmine Design. More than 20 customers have purchased The Giving Ring nationwide.

"I've gotten tons of compliments on the ring," said Colleen Crotty, a West Seattle customer who was introduced to The Giving Ring by Hansen after designing her wedding rings with Goldmine Design. "I love how unique and symbolic it is. It's a great way to talk to people about fair trade and support something that's really positive."

When customers purchase the ring, they are given the freedom to choose one of the 10 nonprofit beneficiary partners from around the world: Partners in Health (Haiti), World Association for Children & Parents (India), Legacies of War (Laos), Himalayan Children's Fund (Nepal), Maysoon's Kids (Palestine), DB Peru Ong (Peru), Altai Mir University (Russia), Hotel Rwanda Rusesabagina Foundation (Rwanda), Darfur Diaries Education Project (Sudan), and Friends of Thai Daughters (Thailand).

The beneficiaries are organizations that help women and children in impoverished and war-torn areas. Jen Marlowe - who sneaked into Sudan in 2004 to film a documentary on the genocide in Darfur - has been working with the Darfur Diaries Education Project to help fund several schools in the area.

"[The Giving Ring] directly seeks partnership with people suffering from oppression or violence worldwide," said Marlowe. "It is creating change in our world by supporting the people who are working to change their worlds themselves."

By the end of this year, The Giving Ring hopes to donate close to $3,000 to its beneficiaries. "I would like this organization that I am building to grow to the capacity where we can give away a lot of money," said Stein Quattrociocchi. In the future, she hopes to expand The Giving Ring's productivity to other types of jewelry and international artwork.

Stein Quattrociocchi is also looking to add more beneficiaries as the business grows and gains more publicity. "We are all responsible for each other, and if there are people here who know that if they reach out in a small way to these organizations, they can have a tremendous impact," she said.

If you have a charity that you think embodies what The Giving Ring represents, please can contact Stein Quattrociocchi at susan@thegivingring.com.

"Susan is an incredibly passionate and selfless person," said Taryn Zier, a friend who is helping The Giving Ring with its publicity. "Her idea for The Giving Ring has blossomed; it encourages people to think about what is happening around the world and act on their compassion. Her efforts prove that even one person can make a big difference."

Anna Park is a student in the University of Washington Department of Communication News Laboratory and may be reached via wseditor@robinsonnews.com