From the moment I met this art collector and jewelry connoisseur, it was clear that we spoke the same language: simplicity, geometry, materiality, attention to detail, meaning.
So when, a year later, he entrusted me with the creation of a new heirloom, we picked up exactly where we had left off.
We met in person for the design brief. What began as a conversation around a ring inspired by La Ligne gradually evolved into something more ambitious: a set of three rings, designed to be worn together or in different combinations.
A Totem.
He stepped away from his signature platinum and diamonds to explore yellow gold and color. Emeralds, naturally. Again, the same language.
Because we both find pleasure in clean forms, complementarity, and systems that invite variation, much of the design process came down to proportion. Each stone cut needed to have its own presence while remaining part of the whole: 4 × 2 mm baguette-cut, 4 × 4 mm square, and 1.8 mm round emeralds.
Finding emeralds in three different cuts and such specific dimensions, while maintaining a harmonious color across the entire set, became one of the project’s central challenges.
I eventually sourced them in Tucson, after several days of searching. We selected a beautiful group of Pakistani emeralds through Zoé, a second-generation stone dealer who learned the profession alongside her father, an emerald specialist.
With the stones selected, we moved into 3D modeling and casting.
Then, while examining the raw casting, my client surprised me with a suggestion. Its unfinished surface reminded him of pre-Columbian jewelry and sparked the idea of introducing texture into the composition.
With the stones selected, we moved into 3D modeling and casting.
Then, while examining the raw casting, my client surprised me with a suggestion. Its unfinished surface reminded him of pre-Columbian jewelry and sparked the idea of introducing texture into the composition.
I had reservations. I tend to favor honest, clean surfaces.
But a custom piece is a dialogue. An encounter between the designer and the person who will wear it. The result should feel unmistakably theirs.
So, we experimented with a delicate sandblasted finish. Achieving it while preserving the crisp edges and polished interiors required considerable precision, but the quiet contrast gave the Totem an unexpected depth.
He was right.
I hand-delivered the finished piece. Seeing his reaction brought the entire process full circle: the pleasure of recognizing something we had imagined together, now made tangible.
A set of heirlooms conceived for one person and shaped through conversation, from beginning to end.
I am grateful for the trust behind this project, and for a dialogue that challenged me along the way.
Jessie
