Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Rings
Some commissions end the day the jewel is handed over. Others stay with you long afterwards. This one belongs to the second kind. A client came to see me in my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with a very clear idea: to mark her 50th birthday with a piece of jewellery that truly resembled her and would outlast her.
A request born of a milestone
She was not looking for something from a shop window. She dreamed of a bespoke Ceylon sapphire ring, elegant, to be worn for many years and one day entrusted to her daughter. This idea of passing something down guided our whole conversation. A jewel destined for the next generation is not conceived like any other: it must be sturdy, true, and beautiful enough to make one want to keep it.
As for the stone, she already had her instinct. She had been moved by the depth of the Ceylon sapphire, renowned for its purity and brilliance. To her, that blue spoke of wisdom, but also of a serene beauty, the kind one wants to embrace fully at fifty. I listened, I took notes, and we allowed time for reflection. It took several conversations before I drew a single line.
Sapphire and diamonds: a question of light
A stone is not chosen from a technical sheet. You have to hold it, turn it, look at it under different lights, and above all see how it responds to the eye of the person who will wear it. Together we chose a 3-carat cushion-cut Ceylon sapphire, of an intense and natural blue. The moment she saw it, the tone of our discussion changed. The choice was made, and we both knew it.
Around this central stone, I decided to set fine round diamonds. Their very pure brilliance offers a harmonious contrast with the deep blue of the sapphire: the blue keeps its depth, while the diamonds bring liveliness, like tiny points of light framing it. This bespoke diamond ring had to remain clear and uncluttered, so that the eye goes first to the sapphire and then drifts towards the halo that surrounds it.
Why 18-carat yellow gold
For the metal, 18-carat yellow gold chose itself almost naturally. Its warmth answers the blue of the sapphire, and its resilience suits a jewel meant to be worn every day as well as on grand occasions. It is also a noble metal, which works beautifully and ages gracefully, something that mattered greatly for a ring destined to travel through the years.
In the workshop: from wax to gold
Every stage of making took place in my jewellery workshop, at the heart of my boutique. For me, that changes everything: I keep my hand on every gesture, from the first sketch to the final stroke of the polisher. Nothing leaves for elsewhere, nothing escapes me.
The design came first. I looked for proportions that would show off the sapphire without overwhelming it, a setting that would hold it firmly, and a band that would sit comfortably on the finger. Then I sculpted the model in wax, which can be reworked at will, refined and hollowed, until the shape was exactly the one I had in mind.
Next comes lost-wax casting, an ancient technique that I love deeply. The wax model is enclosed in a mould, then heated: the wax disappears, leaving its empty imprint. The molten yellow gold is then poured in, faithfully taking up every detail of the model. When the raw ring is lifted from the mould, it must be worked by hand, filed and adjusted, until it acquires its true finesse.
Setting, an exercise in patience
Setting is the stage where one holds one's breath. I set each diamond by hand, then adjusted each seat with care so that the stone would settle in perfectly. This work demands extreme precision: half a millimetre too much and the stone moves, half a millimetre too little and it will not fit. I always seek the same balance, security on one side, elegance on the other. The claws must hold firm without drawing attention to themselves.
The sapphire was set last, with the greatest attention. It is the moment when the ring ceases to be an assembly of parts and becomes a jewel.
Polishing remained. It revealed the full brilliance of the gold and the beauty of the stones. Under the workshop light, the blue took on its final depth and the diamonds began to sparkle around it. The result, at once classic and modern, is a jewel that will not easily go out of fashion. I gazed at it for a long time before placing it in its case.
A presentation surrounded by loved ones
The ring was presented at an intimate celebration, surrounded by my client's family and friends. It moved everyone. It was not only the beauty of the stone: everyone knew what this ring carried, an important birthday, a quiet strength, a femininity fully lived.
What touches me in this kind of commission is that the jewel never remains a mere object. It becomes a landmark, a memory slipped onto the finger. This one tells the story of her 50th birthday, and one day it will no doubt tell something else to her daughter, when it is passed on to her. That is precisely why I chose this profession: to turn an emotion into a precious jewel that one can touch, wear and bequeath.
Let's talk about your project
If you have a bespoke ring near Nantes in mind, whether for a birthday, a birth or simply for yourself, you are most welcome at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire. Come with a stone, an idea, a memory or even just a wish. We will take the time to talk it through over a coffee, with no obligation.
