Inside the Atelier

THE STORY BEHIND THE PIECE

What reaches you is only the final form. This journal shares what came before—the casting, shaping, finishing, and quiet hours spent bringing each piece to life in our Kyoto atelier.

We believe the process should be seen and the hands behind each piece remembered. We hope this journal brings you a little closer to where your piece began.

THE DESIGN

Every piece starts on paper. Before any wax is carved or silver is poured, the design goes through multiple drafts — each one working out the proportions, the symbol, the weight of the form.

This is the final sketch of the Shirushi Pendant: the version we committed to. The kanji at the center, the irregular edge of the disc, the way the bail sits — all of it decided here, in pencil, before anything becomes permanent.

THE RECONSTRUCTION BEFORE PRODUCTION

A fun fact about our Sankai Pendant

The Sankai Pendant underwent a major redesign just before production.

Its original form represented infinity, but to express that idea more fully, we drew inspiration from the Möbius loop—a continuous surface with no beginning or end.

By twisting and connecting both sides into one uninterrupted form, the final design became a true infinite loop: always flowing, forever returning to itself.

THE FIRST FORM

The initial form takes shape in the atelier's hands. Every edge, every surface worked directly — no machine finds the right roughness here. This is where the piece stops being a drawing and starts being a thing.

“THE CHRISTMAS TREE”

Once the prototype is finalized, it becomes a mold — and the mold makes this. Multiple pieces cast together in a single pour, all branching from one stem. We call it the Christmas tree. From here, each one gets cut free and finished by hand. The same piece, made one at a time.

THE FIT TEST

Because every Yoru ring is adjustable, each piece is individually tested after surface finishing to ensure the fit is correct and the structure remains secure. This final step helps prevent accidental snapping during adjustment and ensures the ring is ready to be worn with confidence.

TWO HALVES

Fun fact about Kinrei Pendant

The Kinrei's two halves are actually finished separately. The gold mountain, polished here against the wheel. The silver disc, worked on its own. They only come together at the very end.

ASSEMBLING THE KINREI

Features Kinrei Pendant

Before and after, in the same frame. The gold mountain is set last. Until then, it's just a silver disc with an empty circle — waiting for the piece that makes it the Kinrei.

THE FIRE

Newly cast pieces are heated over flame while being adjusted with tweezers on a soldering block. This step softens the metal and releases tension from casting, preparing each piece for shaping, correction, and further refinement by hand.

CLEANING

Features Shirushi Pendant, Nagare Pendant, Kioku Pendant

Freshly cast silver pieces enter a magnetic tumbling bath in our atelier, surrounded by stainless-steel pins, water, and cleaning compound. The process clears away residue from casting and begins the first stage of surface refinement before hand-finishing.

AFTER THE FIRST CLEAN

Features Kioku Pendant, Nagare Pendant

Newly cleaned pieces are sorted into trays after the first stage of post-casting cleanup. The forms are already visible, but the surfaces remain unfinished — still waiting for final correction, edge refinement, and hand-applied surface treatment.

WAITING FOR THE FINAL HAND

Features Kioku Pendant, Nagare Pendant

After cleaning, the pieces are dried and sorted by design before returning to the bench. The silver has been cleared of residue, but the final surface is not complete yet — each piece still needs hand-finishing, correction, and assembly before it is ready to wear.

SURFACE, BEFORE AND AFTER

Features Toge Pendant, Nagare Pendant

Pieces are shown side by side in two surface states. The brighter pieces remain in their raw, unfinished condition after early processing, while the darker ones have already been through the final stage of surface processing - brought closer to their final surface finish.

FINAL CHECKING

After cleaning, the pieces are dried and sorted by design before returning to the bench. The silver has been cleared of residue, but the final surface is not complete yet — each piece still needs hand-finishing, correction, and assembly before it is ready to wear.