A bow, a rose: a ring, symbol of love…

A few weeks ago, La Compagnie des Gemmes, which runs the website My engagement ring.com, reached out to me and offered me to create My engagement ring exclusively for them. And therefore, to choose a gemstone and to realize and follow the creative process together.

To guide me through this difficult choice, we have established a “trend book” bringing together my tastes and current mood in order to design a ring that reflects my personality.

Little by little, in my mind as well as on paper, the ring was born:

Pink was essential – a pink sapphire or a spinel but definitely the color pink, the ultimate symbol of femininity and love. In essence, a pink diamond would have been perfect, but its rarity unfortunately makes it too expensive today. I want a beautiful ring that remains affordable to the dynamic, urban, delicate and feminine woman.

The bow was also an obvious choice – another symbol of love, ribbons were used in medieval times during pagan weddings to tie the hands of the bride and groom together, symbolizing two lives forever linked. The bow has then always been a strong symbol linked to love, grace and femininity throughout the history of fashion and jewelry. Perfectly depicted in the paintings of Franz Xavier Winterhatler, Louise Elisabeth Vigée Le Brun or Edgar Degas, whose work exudes a particular kind of grace which I really appreciate.

A quick tip and intentional digression: the next time you go to a museum, don’t just go from painting to painting. Look, observe the clothes and especially the women’s jewelry. You will learn a lot about fashions and trends in different eras according to the geopolitical context, and about the evolution of jewelry based on the discoveries of gems and pearls. Everything is linked! Painters are true witnesses of their era and that is fascinating.

After this burst of inspiration born from art and love, I was able to present a few drawings to Laurent Thomas and Frédéric Fontaine from La Compagnie des Gemmes, who then opened their pretty pleated boxes to me, revealing splendid sapphires in various shades of pink. It was not an easy decision…

The choice of the design established the gem and its shape. This is the design that caught their attention:

We have therefore chosen a beautiful 3.63 carat cushion-cut pink sapphire to adorn my engagement ring, which should soon be modeled in 3D.

While waiting for this phase, Frédéric Fontaine conducted a special “Engagement Ring” interview with me, and Laurent Thomas asked me to choose a place where I would want to be photographed.

The place and the photographer were quickly established: the roof terrace of one of my dearest friends, Pierre-Xavier Boubée, with a breathtaking view of Paris and a fabulous garden he has lovingly looked after for years.

And to immortalize this magical and flowery moment, photographer Quentin Crestinu – Snapshooting la vida, word magician, jolly fellow and silly-pun enthusiast.

To discover Quentin’s interview and photos, or how I got into My Engagement Ring.com’s Trendsetter Collection, head over HERE !