Bespoke Art Deco Ruby and Diamond Ring near Nantes

Some commissions arrive with an unmistakable sense of rightness. This client's was one of them. He walked into my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with a clear idea in mind: an Art Deco ruby and diamond ring in 18-carat yellow gold. He also brought his own stones and gold that already belonged to him. Before I had even picked up a pencil, I thought to myself that this piece already had a story, and that it fell to me to give it a form.

An Art Deco ruby and diamond ring, born of a precise vision

I freely admit it: I have a particular fondness for jewellery that tells a story. A ring is more than metal and stones. It carries a gesture, a memory, sometimes a promise. This client knew exactly what he wanted. The Art Deco style, with its clean lines, its geometry and its rigorous symmetry, spoke to him.

So we took the time to talk, to leaf through references, to discuss proportions. His choice of stones appealed to me at once: square-cut rubies set against round diamonds. That contrast is the key to the project. The square brings rigour, the round brings softness, and the deep red of the ruby answers the clarity of the diamond. Between these two families of shapes, we had to find a balance, and that is what we sought together, sketch after sketch.

Bringing your own gold and stones: giving your memories a second life

What made this commission all the more touching is that my client had chosen to come with his own gold and his own stones. I never see this as a simple question of materials. When I am entrusted with a client's own gold, I know I am not handling an anonymous metal: I hold a piece of memory in my hands, which I will transform without betraying it.

There is also a very practical side. Reusing your own gold and gemstones reduces the overall cost of a bespoke ring, and that is a perfectly legitimate reason to step into a workshop. But in this particular case, the sentimental value mattered far more. My client's stones would find a place in a piece designed for them, and his gold would change shape without losing its meaning.

Why 18-carat yellow gold

The choice of 18-carat yellow gold came almost naturally. Its warmth is that of a metal which enhances the colour of gemstones rather than hardening it. The rubies gain depth, the diamonds gain liveliness. It is also a gold renowned for its durability, which matters when you are imagining a ring meant to be worn for many years. And for Art Deco, that golden hue is a classic that needs no debate.

From drawing to setting: the work in the workshop

Once the broad lines were agreed, I moved on to drawing. I sketched the ring by hand, looking for the right relationships between the stones: the position of each ruby, the space left for the diamonds, the way the lines of the mounting would accompany them. I always draw more than one version, because it is by comparing them that you see what works. My client approved the one that best respected his original idea.

Then comes the making itself. The design is first modelled in wax, which allows me to check the volumes, the thickness of the edges and the comfort on the finger. It is a stage I am very fond of: wax can be corrected, reworked and refined, and you see the ring appear before it exists in metal. Then comes the casting, which gives the model its final material: 18-carat yellow gold, taken from the gold my client had brought.

After casting, the rough piece must be carefully worked. The surfaces are refined, the edges cleaned, and the seatings for the stones adjusted to within a tenth of a millimetre. This is where the Art Deco style is truly won or lost: if a line is not perfectly crisp, the whole geometry suffers. The setting is the most delicate stage. Each square ruby and each round diamond is placed and secured one by one, with the patience that stones of this value demand. A square calls for flawless alignment, while a round stone asks that its curve be respected.

Polishing brings the work to a close. It reveals the lustre of the gold, brings out the reflections, and gives the ring that smooth, luminous finish that changes everything. I examine the piece under several lights, turn it over, and check that nothing catches, either to the eye or to the finger. Only then do I consider it ready.

Handing over the ring: the emotion of a piece with a story

The handover of a piece of jewellery is always a moment apart. I place the ring in front of its future owner, and let him look at it, pick it up, try it on. Here, there was something very special: my client recognised in this creation his own stones and his own gold, but in a form he had never seen. What he had imagined finally existed, in gold, in red and in light.

Moments like these are a jeweller's finest reward. A piece made from what you already own, from what you have kept and cherished, is unlike any other. It is not merely beautiful: it is right, because it belongs to the one who wears it, in its materials as in its story.

Come and talk to me at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire

If you own gold, stones or a piece of jewellery lying forgotten in a drawer, and you dream of something that truly reflects you, come and talk to me. I will welcome you to my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with no obligation and no pressure. We will look at what you have, talk about your wishes, and see together what these treasures can become. Every story deserves to be listened to before it is given form.