"Engagement"
With shared feelings and experiences, we embrace the natural order of chance and inevitability in a humorous and harmonious world, with pure eyes and innocent hearts, finding each other has been an unparalleled joy.
This journey of creating two rings began with these poetic words and a precious ring passed down from the family.
Entrusting me with the design at our Ginza atelier in early January, saying "We trust you with the design," was both a delight and a source of great tension for me.
The need to create something that both the couple and the original owner, their grandmother, would appreciate, coupled with the irreplaceable memories embedded in the remade jewels, required time for deep reflection.
I spent days blending the meanings within the poetic words, keywords from our conversations at the atelier, and the couple's aura to determine the design direction.
The challenge of remaking lies in the unique materials and design constraints due to the fixed sizes and numbers of stones, as well as forming tangible shapes from abstract concepts.
After exchanging various ideas with the couple and gradually making progress until summer, we finally decided on a direction.
The completed rings incorporate elements the couple admired from "Cosmo" and "Maia", resulting in two stackable rings themed the universe and plants.
The engagement ring, crafted in platinum, features a nearly 0.5ct diamond surrounded by melee diamonds spaced out to resemble a sun filled with energy.
The slender gold ring, designed to represent freely growing plants, is adorned with small engraved leaves and dewdrops placed randomly along the organically shaped band.
Though it's common for rings to fit snugly together, the couple's flexible thinking led to a distinctive set of rings.
Seeing the photo of the bride with the two heirloom rings reborn and sparkling on her hand filled me with joy and reaffirmed my gratitude for taking on this challenging order.
The creative process, akin to climbing a mountain and imagining unseen beautiful vistas, brought a sense of achievement felt only through this shared journey.
A precious ring for someone becomes a cherished item for another, etching 'thoughts' over many years.
Decades from now, if the day comes to remake the engagement ring crafted at ith for a loved one, it will be a truly joyful occasion.
I look forward to the encounters and rings that will originate from ith next year.
2024 marks the 10th anniversary of ith's inception. We are diligently preparing, so stay tuned for what's to come.
Wishing you a wonderful new year.
Aya Takahashi, ith
