Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Rings
Some requests can be sensed before they are even spoken. A client walked into my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with an idea that was still fragile but very clear: to give a toi et moi ring to celebrate a wedding anniversary. I put down my pencil before he had finished his sentence. I had understood that this was not simply a gift.
A wedding anniversary to be celebrated
This client wanted a piece of jewellery that spoke of the beauty of their marriage, but also of its endurance. He did not talk to me about trends or style. He talked about what lasts, about what two people build together, day after day. I listened to him at length, because everything begins there: a bespoke wedding anniversary ring is born, first and foremost, from a conversation.
I asked him how his wife wears her jewellery day to day, what she likes to see on her hand, what bothers her. These questions may seem modest. Yet they guide every choice to come: the height of the setting, the shape of the band, the balance of the stones. We then spoke of a design that seemed to me the obvious way to tell the story of a couple: the "toi et moi".
Why a toi et moi ring in rhodium-plated 18-carat white gold
The principle is simple and beautiful: two stones are set side by side, facing one another, on the same band. Each one represents one of the partners. They do not compete, they accompany each other. This design says more than any long speech what this client wanted to express.
For the metal, I suggested rhodium-plated 18-carat white gold. It offers both a crisp brilliance and real strength, which answered the idea of endurance. Its pale colour evokes purity and elegance, and it leaves the diamonds all the room they need. As for the rhodium plating, it adds extra brilliance and helps the ring keep its lustre over the years.
I always tell my clients that a white gold piece is something to be lived in and cared for. The rhodium plating can be renewed at the workshop when the time comes, and it is a simple procedure. The ring should accompany its owners for a very long time, and I make sure that it can.
Two diamonds set side by side
What gives this creation its personality is the diamonds. These stones, long associated with eternity, took on a very concrete meaning here: two lives, two ways of seeing, one shared path. So I looked for two diamonds that would answer one another, without trying to make them identical at all costs.
I chose them one by one, with a loupe and a great deal of patience, for their clarity, colour and sparkle. The aim was for the ring to catch the light from every angle, whether seen from the front, in profile or leaning over a festive dinner. A stone can be flawless on paper and look dull once mounted. That is why I always prefer to see them together before making a decision.
The design, the first step of the jewel
Once the stones had been selected, I drew the ring by hand. I needed to find the right curve so that the two diamonds would seem to draw close without touching, and so that the band would carry them lightly. I presented several variations to the client. He reacted to one of them with a smile I shall not forget: it was the right one.
From wax to polishing: the work in the workshop
With the design approved, I sculpted the model in wax. This stage allows me to check the volumes, adjust the gap between the two stones and make sure the ring will be comfortable. Wax can be corrected with a fine tool, one gesture at a time, whereas metal is unforgiving.
Next comes casting. The wax model is transformed into white gold, then the rough band is freed from its mould, reworked and refined. It is a moment I particularly love: the form imagined on paper finally becomes an object you can hold in your hand.
The setting demands the most concentration. The claws must hold each diamond firmly, without ever smothering it or masking its light. I work slowly, checking every point of contact. A well-set diamond does not move, and yet it seems to float.
Polishing is the final gesture in the workshop. It gives the metal its smooth surface and deep lustre, before the rhodium plating adds the finishing touch of brilliance. When I placed the finished ring under the light of my workbench, the two diamonds began to converse. I knew the work was right.
A ring made to be worn for years to come
The handing over of a piece of jewellery is always a special moment. I watch the client's face rather than the ring, because that is where you can see whether the design has found its mark. He took the case with an almost shy attentiveness. He studied the two stones for a long time, in silence, like rereading a sentence that sounds like oneself.
Creating this ring was an honour. Every curve, every claw, every reflection carries the idea of a marriage that endures. My craft is to give form to what people feel without always being able to say it, and I know this jewel will say it for him. I hope it will be cherished and worn with pride for many years to come.
If you are thinking of a bespoke toi et moi ring for an anniversary, a promise or simply to say thank you, come and talk to me at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. We shall take the time to discuss, over a coffee, your story and what it might become in your hands.
