Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Necklaces
Some mornings, the workshop smells different. It is not the smell of hot metal or polishing paste, but that of a story about to begin. That day, a client pushed open the door of my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with a very precise idea in mind. She wanted to give her daughter a piece of jewellery for her birthday, and she wished it to be born from her own gold.
A pendant request born of gold full of memories
She set that gold down in front of me with a delicacy I shall not forget. It was not simply metal. It was laden with memories, and she did not want to exchange it for an anonymous ingot. She wanted to see it change shape without losing its soul. So I listened to her at length before reaching for so much as a pencil. In my trade, this is the first step, and probably the most important: understanding what an object represents before imagining what it will become.
Very quickly, the idea of an emerald pendant necklace took hold. A pendant, because it is worn close to the heart and keeps the wearer company, day after day. An emerald, because its deep colour gives yellow gold a rare presence. As a jeweller in Nantes, I know that the choice of a stone is never made lightly. It has to tell you something.
Choosing the perfect emerald
I had set aside several emeralds for this project, all beautiful, all different. I laid them out on my workbench under a soft light and studied them one after another. An emerald is a stone that cannot be judged at a glance. Its green ranges from the most delicate to the darkest, and it sometimes keeps within it small traces of its formation, which is precisely what makes it alive.
One stone stopped me. It was an oval emerald of deep green, its light seeming to linger inside before coming back out. There was something almost magical in that reflection. When I presented it to my client, I saw her face light up before she had said a word. Her eyes shone. She had found her stone, and I had confirmation that the design could begin.
An oval for softness
The oval shape offers supple lines, with no sharp angles. For a pendant intended for a young woman, it brings elegance while remaining easy to wear. It also suits a yellow gold mount very well, its warmth answering the green of the stone.
From family gold to 18-carat yellow gold: the making
I began by drawing the piece by hand, searching for the truest line. Nothing superfluous: the emerald had to remain the leading voice, and the gold the setting that carries it. Once the sketch had been approved by my client, I prepared the wax model, which is carved, adjusted and refined until the proportions are exact. This stage demands patience, but it is what gives the piece its final silhouette.
Then comes the casting, the moment I like best. The gold my client had brought was melted in my workshop. I watched the metal liquefy, glow red, then take the shape that awaited it. There is always a certain gravity to that moment, because one knows that this metal, so full of history, will never regain its former face. Once cooled, the 18-carat yellow gold revealed its warm lustre, a richness that moved me once again.
A four-claw setting, designed for light
To hold the stone, I chose a four-claw setting, and it was no accident. This technique secures the emerald reliably while letting light pass through it from the sides and from below. The more the light circulates, the more the green comes alive. A closed setting would have protected it more, but it would also have made it darker.
I placed the oval emerald on its mount with the utmost care. The claws were then closed one by one, gently, never forcing. An emerald demands this restraint: it is precious, but it does not tolerate haste. When the last claw came to rest against the stone, it was held firmly, and yet it seemed to float in the gold.
Polishing, the final touch
Polishing remained. I carried it out in successive passes, so that the yellow gold would take on a deep, scratch-free brilliance and the claws would be perfectly smooth to the touch. A piece of jewellery is worn: it brushes against skin and clothing, so every detail matters, even the one that no one will notice.
When I held the pendant up to the light, the contrast between the warm yellow of the metal and the intense green of the stone struck me. It was exactly what I had wanted for this bespoke yellow gold emerald pendant.
Handing over the piece, a moment that stays with you
When my client came back to the workshop, I placed the finished pendant in her hands. She did not speak straight away. She looked at the emerald, then the gold, then the stone again, and I saw a flicker of emotion pass through her eyes that I know well. She knew that this piece, made from her own gold and set with this emerald, would be a gift to her daughter of a value that cannot be measured in euros.
This is what I love about such commissions: the finished object now carries two stories, that of a mother who entrusted what she held most precious, and that of a daughter who will receive it on her birthday. My role is simply to link the two, with my tools, my time and my attention.
These moments remind me why I chose this profession. Gold handed down, a stone chosen with care, a few hours of meticulous work, and a piece of jewellery that takes its place in a life.
Let's talk about your project at the workshop
If you have an old piece of jewellery, family gold or a stone tucked away in a drawer and you are not sure what to do with it, you are welcome to come and talk to me at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. We shall take the time to look together at what you have, to listen to what you wish to express, and to see whether a bespoke creation can give it a new life. There is no hurry: a good idea for a piece of jewellery often begins with a simple conversation.
