Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Earrings
Some commissions begin with a very simple sentence. That day, a client walked into my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with a clear idea: leaves, in rose gold, for a wedding. He had already gathered everything, the gold and the diamonds alike. All he needed was someone to give them form. I knew at once that this would be a beautiful piece of work.
A clear request: bespoke rose gold and diamond earrings
When someone entrusts me with their own materials, the conversation changes. It is no longer a matter of choosing from a catalogue or comparing stones. It is a matter of listening. My client explained what he had in mind, and above all what this wedding meant to him. The jewel had to accompany a great day without overshadowing it. It needed lightness, movement, a softness that sits well against the skin.
The leaf almost chose itself. It is a motif that evokes growth, time passing gracefully, a life taking root. I did not have to force anything: the idea already carried its own meaning. For bespoke rose gold and diamond earrings, it is the best possible starting point, one where the form tells a story before it has even been drawn.
He handed me his 18-carat rose gold and his diamonds. I took that gesture for what it was: an act of trust. Working with a client's own materials carries a particular responsibility. Nothing is lost, nothing can be replaced. Every stone matters, and so does every gram of gold.
From drawing to casting: giving 18-carat rose gold its leaf form
Everything began on paper. I drew several leaves, some more elongated than others, with veins more or less pronounced. I was looking for balance: a silhouette elegant enough to look natural, yet simple enough to give the diamonds their full place. Together we chose the outline that spoke to him most. Once the design was approved, the work on the metal could begin.
The gold supplied by the client was melted in my workshop, then cast to form the base of the leaves. 18-carat rose gold has a distinctive character: its warm, slightly coppery hue flatters the skin and brings out the clarity of the diamonds. It works beautifully, but it demands patience. It has to be shaped, then refined, filed and reworked until the outline is crisp and the thickness exactly right.
This is where the leaf comes to life. On the bench, the raw gold looks like nothing precious. Then the curves appear, the tip tapers, the central vein takes shape. I have always loved this moment when the metal ceases to be a material and becomes an object. Every adjustment is a matter of the finest touch, and the difference is visible to the naked eye once the jewel is worn.
A shape designed for the ear
An earring is not seen the way a ring is. It moves, it catches the light intermittently, it is glimpsed in profile. I therefore took great care over the balance of each leaf, so that it hangs naturally and remains comfortable to wear for a long time, even through a long day of celebration.
Diamond setting, one gesture at a time
Next comes the stage I like best, and the most demanding. The diamonds supplied by the client were examined one by one. I studied their cut, their brilliance, the way each returned the light. Then I decided where each would sit on the leaves, so that the whole would look natural, with neither heaviness nor disorder.
The diamond setting is done by hand, under the loupe, with tiny tools. A seat for the stone is cut into the gold, the stone is placed, then the metal is gently turned over to hold it. The slightest flaw would show. The stones must be firmly secured and perfectly aligned, and yet give the impression of having settled there like drops of dew on a leaf.
When the last diamond was set, I checked every claw, every hold, every alignment. This check is not spectacular, but it is what allows a jewel to last through the years. A marriage endures, and the jewel that accompanies it must endure too.
Then comes the polishing. I carried it out with care, in stages, moving from the coarser finishes to the finest, until the rose gold took on that luminous depth that makes the metal almost alive. Only then was the pair complete. Two matching leaves, light, sparkling without ever being ostentatious.
Handing over the leaf earrings, a moment I shall not forget
On the day the client returned to the workshop, I confess I was not entirely at ease. However well one knows one's craft, one always hopes the jewel will live up to expectations. I presented the earrings to him, resting in their box, and let the silence do its work.
He looked at them for a long while, then smiled. He was delighted, and it showed in every gesture. These leaves were made of his gold, his diamonds, his idea, and he was seeing them transformed into a unique piece, ready to be worn at a wedding. I think that is what I love most about my work: seeing someone recognise in a finished object what they had in mind without always being able to put it into words.
For my part, I felt genuine pride. Not only the pride of work well done, but of having taken part, in my own way, in a moment that matters. A wedding jewel is never just metal and stones. It becomes a memory, then an heirloom to be handed down, rediscovered, touched while thinking back to that very day.
If you, too, have a bespoke wedding jewellery project in mind, or if you own gold and stones waiting for a second life, you are most welcome in my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. We shall take the time to talk it through, with no obligation, over a coffee. Sometimes, a beautiful story simply begins with a conversation.
