Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Wedding Bands
Some days, the door of the workshop opens onto a project that already carries something grand before it has even taken shape. Recently, a couple about to be married came into my workshop boutique in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. They had not come looking for a catalogue design. They had come for the object that would say, without a word, what they were about to promise one another.
One couple, two bespoke wedding bands
Their request fitted into a few sentences: two bespoke wedding bands in 18-carat yellow gold. For the bride-to-be, one precise wish: that her ring be set with diamonds. For her future husband, a yellow gold band to match hers, so that the two pieces would speak to one another.
I sat them down and we took our time. It is always my first step: listening. Before drawing a single line, I need to understand what the wedding band means to those who will wear it, and how it will live on their finger, day after day. This couple had a clear idea of what they wanted, and that clarity made the challenge all the more exciting.
I won't hide that these appointments move me. We talk about jewellery, of course, but above all we talk about the future. Every detail they chose, they chose together, and it showed in their eyes as much as in their words.
The design and the choice of diamonds for the diamond-set wedding band
For a diamond-set wedding band, everything begins with a question of composition: where to place the stones, and how many? We discussed at length how they should sit on the ring. Should they run along the whole surface, or be concentrated to create a single point of light? Each option changes the personality of the piece. Pencil in hand, I put forward several proposals, then we refined them until the design was approved by both.
Next came the stage I like best of all: selecting the stones. Choosing a diamond demands a practised eye. One must look at its cut, its colour, its clarity, and above all its brilliance, because that is what will bring the stone to life in daylight as in the glow of a reception hall. I compare, I set aside, I start again. Some stones are beautiful on their own, but they do not sit well with their neighbours. I look for those that form a coherent whole.
In the end I chose diamonds of remarkable quality, selected so that the bride's wedding band would catch the light with every movement of her hand.
From 18-carat yellow gold to the finished ring: work at the bench
All of the making took place in my workshop. For me, it is an almost sacred moment, because it brings me closest to the material. I chose the 18-carat yellow gold together with the couple: a rich, warm gold, strong enough to accompany a whole lifetime without losing its shape.
Melting and shaping the gold
The gold was melted before my eyes, with all the vigilance that this gesture demands. Then it was forged and worked, millimetre by millimetre, so that each band would find its exact proportions: the thickness, the inner curve, the contour that will make the ring comfortable. None of this is visible once the piece is finished, and yet it is what makes you forget it is on your finger, as if it had always been there.
Setting, a gesture of precision
Then comes the setting. I place each diamond on the bride's band, one after the other, making sure the stone is held firmly. A successful setting must be both secure and discreet: you should see the diamond, not the claws that hold it. I check every stone under the loupe, test how firmly it sits, and redo it if need be. A piece meant to be worn every day tolerates no approximation.
Polishing completes the work. It restores the gold's warm lustre and brings out the fire of the diamonds. When I laid the two wedding bands side by side on my bench, I knew they were ready.
Handing over the wedding bands: a dream takes shape
The day the couple came back to the workshop, I confess I was almost as moved as they were. I presented the two rings in the intimacy of the boutique, without ceremony, with only the morning light on the bench. They looked at the wedding bands for a long moment, then looked at each other. What they had imagined now existed, in their hands, and it was exactly what they had hoped for.
Their joy was sincere, simple, contagious. I keep their gratitude as the finest of jewels. It reminds me why I do this work: making objects that will accompany lives, and being, in some small way, part of such precious moments.
Creating wedding bands is not merely a craft, it is a vocation that calls for devotion and patience. Each project is a new adventure, and I am always honoured to be entrusted with it.
Let's talk about your wedding band project
If you are planning your wedding and the idea of a bespoke 18-carat gold wedding band in Nantes keeps turning over in your mind, come and talk about it at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire. Bring your wishes, your hesitations, your questions. We will take the time to look at them together, over a coffee, and see what your story wants to become.
