Can’t Let Go – Handmade Silver Ring(Reserved)

This is an Akoya pearl ring.

The setting of this ring was created based on a design provided by a customer.
That said, although I did work while looking at the reference, I was surprised at how far the final result turned out to be from the original design.

However, the customer was very kind and accepted the ring wholeheartedly.

In the end, the ring came to feel as though it gently holds and embraces the pearl.

To be honest, I did not intentionally aim to create this kind of form.
Rather, this shape is simply the result of what I was able to achieve within the limits of my current technical ability.

Regardless of how it came to be, I am personally very satisfied with how this ring turned out.

To turn what I imagine in my head into reality requires a great deal of study, practice, and experience.
Perhaps that is what defines a professional.

In my case, I do not yet have the technical ability to fully shape what I imagine.
Instead, I try to create something that feels right to my heart.
Even if it does not turn out as I originally envisioned, I aim for a form that makes me feel,
“Yes, this will do.”

That said, I took great care with the polishing.
It may require some skill, but even someone still learning can achieve a fine finish with enough time.
And I made sure to spend that time.

There was one particular difficulty while making this ring.
The nucleus inside the pearl I had intended to use began to move.

In rare cases, when a pearl is drilled, moisture inside may evaporate and create a small cavity.
When that happens, the nucleus can shift.
I usually encounter such pearls only once or twice a year,
but on this occasion, I came across three in a single day.

A pearl with a moving nucleus cannot be used for a ring,
as it cannot be securely fixed to the setting.

To make matters worse, the adhesive did not cure properly that day.
It took me more than three hours just to attach a single pearl to this ring.
For comparison, it takes me less than two hours to complete an 80 cm all-knotted necklace.
Yet here, attaching just one pearl took over three hours.

Because of that, this ring carries many memories for me,
and it became a valuable learning experience.

I do not often like to describe my pearls as “one of a kind.”
To me, that is something obvious.
Even a single leaf on a tree is one of a kind.

Sometimes, a less generous part of me appears and asks,
“Is that really the best you can say about your pearl?”

I do not mind when others use such expressions.
They are common and widely accepted.
But when it comes to my own work, that voice whispers,
“Is that all your pearl is worth?”

Still, perhaps this ring may indeed be one of a kind.

Yet “one of a kind” might also be a phrase that depends on comparison with others.
Whether or not something similar exists, I want to create something that stands on its own as truly good.

Yes, regardless of others, I want to say:
“This is good. I like this. This is how I want it to be.”

That is what I am aiming for in this life—
though I do not know how many lives I may have.

A hard to watch…