Published on by Olivier Maupas-Sehikyan · Rings
I remember that day very clearly. A client pushed open the door of my workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes, with several old pieces of jewellery in her hands. She set them down in front of me with great care, the way one presents keepsakes. They were rich in history, but they were no longer being worn.
Her wish, on the other hand, was clear and strong: to turn them into an 18-carat yellow gold ring, modern, elegant and easy to wear every day. Not a piece to be kept safely out of sight, but a jewel that lives with her, from morning to night.
Transforming Old Jewellery, Between Memory and Renewal
This kind of transformation of old jewellery is anything but an ordinary commission. Before I draw anything, I must listen, understand what these objects mean to their owner, and then put forward a vision. My role as a designer-jeweller is to keep the soul of the original piece while giving birth to something new.
We talked at length. I examined the existing gold, the very gold I would melt down to reuse. The approach is responsible, of course: nothing is wasted. But it is also deeply symbolic. The jewel changes shape, yet its story remains intact, simply carried by a different design.
This is often where everything is decided. When people feel that their past is being respected, they find it easier to let go of it in order to create something else. I sensed it from that very first conversation.
A Band Ring to Unite Diamond, Emeralds, Sapphires and Rubies
The client also owned several stones: a diamond, two emeralds, two sapphires and two rubies. I immediately understood the potential of this palette. Gemstones so different from one another, brought together in a single jewel, promised a rare visual richness.
To house them, I proposed an 18-carat yellow gold band ring. Its form is soft and pared back, yet it offers enough metal to receive an original setting. A sketch was drawn, presented and approved. The project took shape quite quickly, as if the stones had simply been waiting for the right mount.
Every Stone Has Its Role
The diamond sits at the centre. It is the main stone, the one that catches the light and draws the eye first. It is associated with purity and eternity.
Around it, the emeralds bring a deep green, the colour of nature and renewal. The sapphires, in an intense blue, create an elegant contrast: they are said to stand for wisdom and serenity. As for the rubies, they complete the whole with their vibrant red, a symbol of warmth, passion and energy.
Bringing these three colours together in a single yellow gold ring with precious stones is rare. That is what makes this creation unique: it resembles no other, because it tells no one else's story.
In the Workshop: Melting the Gold, Flush Setting and Polishing
All of the making was carried out in my workshop. For me, this is essential: I can follow every stage, correct a detail, and repeat a gesture until it is exactly right.
I began by melting the client's gold. This moment always moves me. The metal of yesterday becomes a new material, which must then be worked to obtain a homogeneous alloy. Next, I shaped the band: the gold is rolled, then curved, and the form gradually becomes more precise. Comfort matters as much as aesthetics, because a ring made for everyday wear should be forgotten on the finger.
Flush Setting, a Gesture of Precision
To set the stones, I chose a flush setting (known in French as serti masse). This technique involves setting the gemstones directly into the metal, with no visible claws to hold them. The result is modern, secure and very clean, and it suited the line of the band perfectly.
Each seat was first carefully cut, one by one. Their positioning must be perfectly balanced, otherwise the eye stumbles on an asymmetry. The diamond was set first, at the centre. Then the emeralds, sapphires and rubies took their places around it.
The setting is done by hand. It demands rigour, experience, and a patience that cannot be hurried. At each stage, I studied the jewel from different angles and tested the light, to achieve a result that is luminous and harmonious.
Once the setting was complete, the ring was polished. This finish reveals the beauty of the yellow gold and the brilliance of the stones. It is the final stage, the moment when the jewel ceases to be a work in progress and becomes a finished object.
Handing Over the Ring and the Story It Carries
I always take a moment to contemplate the finished piece, alone, before handing it over. This bespoke ring made in Nantes is the result of precise craftsmanship, but above all of a human story. You can feel it in the metal, in the choice of each stone, in the balance of the colours.
The client left with a ring that truly resembles her. She now wears a luminous, modern jewel, full of emotion, born from objects that lay dormant and that today shine on her finger. It is no longer a memory to be looked at from afar: it is a jewel to be lived in.
This ring is far more than an assembly of gold and stones. It represents a transformation, an evolution. It also shows what I love about my craft: artisan skill placed at the service of a personal story, reconciling tradition and modernity. In my workshop, every jewel is designed to last, created with exacting standards, passion and precision.
If you too have old jewellery or stones you no longer know what to do with, come and talk to me at the workshop in Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, near Nantes. We will take the time to look together at what they have to say, and to see what they might become.
