À VIF by Sandrine B. Jewelry
À VIF by Sandrine B. Jewelry
À VIF was created in the wake of my mother’s passing on August 25, 2026.
The fern leaves that inspired this ring were gathered from my sister’s garden in France during the winter of 2018. There is something magical about winter, when nature slows, retreats inward, and enters a period of dormancy. Among the decaying leaves, life persists quietly, reminding us that endings and beginnings are deeply intertwined.
I carefully preserved the fern leaves in sand to retain their moisture and delicate forms before bringing them back to the United States. I then had molds made from the original leaves, capturing their intricate textures and natural imperfections. Through the traditional lost-wax casting process, this fragile botanical form was transformed into sterling silver.
What began as an effort to preserve something fleeting from nature would, years later, take on an entirely different meaning.
À VIF, French for raw or painfully exposed, is not a representation of death itself, but of what remains in us after someone we love is gone. Grief changes us. It leaves us exposed, tender, and sometimes unfamiliar to ourselves. Like the fern wrapping around this ring, memories continue to grow around the absence—sometimes gently, sometimes painfully.
The loss remains, but so does the love.
À VIF holds both: the wound of absence and the enduring presence of the person we carry with us.
- Material: recycled sterling silver
- Size: 8–9, open and adjustable
Please note: all loose stone sales are final sale.