Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Rings
Some projects begin with a long conversation. Others begin with a jewel case opened on the workbench. This one belongs to the second kind. A client came to my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with two precious materials: white gold and an emerald of over 3 carats. Both were his own. His wish could be summed up in a single sentence: to make a bespoke white gold emerald ring, a piece that would exist only once.
An emerald of over 3 carats on my workbench
I remember the silence that followed. When someone entrusts you with a stone and a metal, it is no ordinary commission. The client was not choosing a model from a catalogue; he was handing me materials charged with personal meaning, and that is what gave this project its particular tone. I took the stone between my fingers, then examined it under the loupe. Its deep, almost velvety green and its lovely clarity spoke to me at once.
We took the time to talk. I always ask the same questions: who will wear the ring, on which hand, every day or only for special occasions, and with what style of clothes? These details seem trivial. Yet they determine the height of the mount, the thickness of the band, the overall balance. An emerald of this size calls for a setting worthy of it, neither too timid nor overpowering.
From sketch to ring: drawing before melting
Everything began on paper. I drew the ring by hand, taking care that every line reflected my client's personality and what he expected from this jewel. At my workshop, the sketch is never a formality: it is common ground. It allows us to picture the result before a single gram of metal is worked, and above all to correct, adjust and hesitate a little longer.
Together we reworked a few proportions. A line moved, a curve softened, and the ring changed character. This dialogue around the drawing is, in my view, the best guarantee of a jewel that will be loved for a long time. When the client said "yes, that's it", I knew we could move on to the workshop.
Why bespoke work changes everything
A bespoke ring in Nantes is more than an original shape. It follows the contours of the hand, it respects the stone, it tells the story of the person who will wear it. When the materials come from the client, this approach goes even further: I am not simply making an object, I am continuing a story that existed long before me.
The semi-bezel setting, a choice of protection and light
The real challenge of this project lay in the setting. We chose a semi-bezel setting for the emerald. This technique surrounds the stone with a rim of metal around only part of its circumference, holding it securely while still letting light pass through. It was not merely a question of aesthetics. The emerald is a magnificent stone, but it deserves care: it should be protected from knocks rather than handled roughly.
The semi-bezel setting offers that compromise. The metal watches over the most exposed parts of the stone, while the rest remains free to catch the daylight. In return, it demands great precision. Every millimetre counts, every support must be exact, because a clumsy movement cannot be undone on an emerald of over 3 carats. This is the kind of work where one holds one's breath a little.
From molten white gold to the final polish
Once the design was approved, I made the model of the ring, then the client's white gold was melted and cast to form the mount, true to the specifications of the sketch. Watching this metal pass from raw material to a recognisable form is always a moment I love. The piece that comes out of the casting is still rough, however: it must be worked again, filed, refined and checked under the loupe before any stone is even considered.
Then came the most delicate stage. The emerald was placed in its mount and the setting closed, patiently, point by point. I work slowly at this moment, constantly checking that the stone sits properly, that it is under no strain, that it remains perfectly stable. Polishing completed the work. The white gold took on a crisp, luminous shine, and the green of the emerald, framed by this pale metal, revealed its full depth.
The details that make the difference
- a sketch approved with the client before any making begins;
- a white gold mount cast, then finished by hand;
- a slow setting process, designed to protect the stone;
- careful polishing, so that metal and emerald answer one another.
Handing over the ring, my finest reward
Seeing a project pass from paper to reality remains, for me, an emotion that never fades. The day the ring was finished, I felt genuine pride: that of having carried through a demanding piece of work, with materials that meant a great deal to my client. The emerald sparkled, nestled in the white gold, exactly as we had imagined it around the sketch.
When I handed him the ring, he took his time to look at it, to turn it in the light, to try it on. His joy and satisfaction were plain to see, and that is, at heart, what drives me to do this work. A successful jewel is not only beautiful: it is right, it resembles the person who wears it, and it now has a story to pass on.
Every project is a new challenge and a new story. If you own a stone, some gold, or simply a desire for a unique piece of jewellery, come and see me at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. We will take the time to talk it through, over a coffee and a sheet of paper, with no obligation and no rush.
