Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Precious Stones
Every morning, before I touch any metal or wax, I pick up a loupe and look at a stone. I have repeated this gesture for so many years that it has become part of me. It sums up who I am: a gemmologist jeweller, working from my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, for whom a piece of jewellery always begins with the gemstone.
I would like to tell you, in my own words, what this dual role means in practice for those who step through the workshop door.
The gemmologist's eye on every precious stone
Diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, rubies, garnets: I examine them, compare them, sort them. None of them comes from the same part of the world, and yet they all share the quality I look for above all: a natural, honest brilliance that owes nothing to chance. My role is to recognise it, and then to serve it through my craft.
For a precious stone is more than its beauty. Behind it lies real technical expertise. Thanks to my training as a gemmologist, I can verify the quality of a gemstone, understand where it comes from and be sure of its authenticity. This is a peace of mind I am keen to offer: whoever leaves with a piece of jewellery knows what they are wearing, and why.
This exacting eye is not a cold one. On the contrary, I am still moved by it. I sometimes spend long minutes in front of an emerald, simply to watch how the light settles within it. A stone speaks to me, or it does not. In the latter case, I do not offer it.
From the Antwerp fair to the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire
I select my gemstones myself, in direct contact with the trade. This means leaving the workshop, travelling and meeting stone dealers. Gem fairs are an integral part of my profession. I have been fortunate to acquire stones at international fairs, in Antwerp as in Bangkok, where the finest gemstones circulate.
These gatherings have their own rhythm. You spend hours looking, comparing, talking. A handshake is sometimes worth as much as a certificate. Over time, I have built close relationships with trusted suppliers, and some stones are even entrusted to me directly by collectors. I do not see this as a mere commercial matter: it is a chain of trust that extends all the way to you.
Then I come home. And it is in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, in my shop and workshop, that I unwrap these finds and share this passion with my clients. The journey ends here, and the work of creation can truly begin.
Bespoke jewellery born of a dialogue
Everything I design is imagined and crafted in my workshop. It is here that I turn a stone into a piece of fine jewellery. More often than not, our meeting begins with a conversation: a wish, a memory, sometimes a simple intuition that the person struggles to put into words. I listen, I ask questions, and then I begin to draw.
A bespoke piece of jewellery in Nantes or the surrounding area is, first and foremost, this: an exchange in which your wishes meet my vision as a designer. Together, we can imagine a diamond ring, a sapphire pendant, or a piece that showcases an exceptional ruby. The choice of the stone comes before that of the setting, and not the other way round. A well-chosen gemstone often dictates the shape, the metal, and the way of holding it while letting it breathe.
From drawing to polishing
Then comes the work of the hand. The drawing becomes more precise, the metal is chosen, and the piece is modelled in wax and then cast. Setting demands total concentration: the stone is placed, secured and adjusted with the utmost precision. Finally, polishing gives the jewel its finish, that moment when the metal catches the light and the gemstone at last finds its place. I do not count the hours, because every stage matters as much as the one before.
The family stone: passing on a story
Many people come to the workshop with a stone they have been given. They wish to have it appraised, transformed or modernised. These projects carry a particular emotional weight, and I approach them with equally particular care.
A family stone carries a memory. Before proposing anything, I look at the gemstone, I listen to what I am told about it, and I look for a way to give it a second life without erasing its past. Sometimes a more contemporary setting is all it takes. At other times, the piece must be entirely rethought. In every case, my knowledge of gemmology allows me to say honestly what the stone can withstand and what would show it to its best advantage.
Every stone tells a story. It is for me to reveal it, and for you to wear it.
I often repeat this sentence to myself. It says the essence of my craft. I do not simply make jewellery: I carry stories forward, I prepare moments that will one day be told in their turn.
Come and talk to me at the workshop
If you carry within you a wish for a piece of jewellery, or if a gemstone has been lying in a drawer for years, come and talk to me at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. There is no rush. We will take the time to look at the stone, to talk, to dream a little. And if, in the end, you simply leave with a better understanding of what you own, I will already be glad.
