The path to the perfect ring

Proposing is one of life's great events, and the proposal stands as a strong symbol of love. A lot of thought and emotion goes into the process, which ultimately – hopefully – culminates in tears, yes.

– When I found out that I wanted to propose to my girlfriend Kristin, I really wanted to make something special and unique, rather than buy something mass-produced. That's why I contacted Wabi Sabi in Tromsø, says the high-flying Johann Forfang.

Together with the local jewelry manufacturer that was established by Ann-Merete Skaue Øines and Dagmar Mildes in 2015, he has now ventured into new waters. They were to produce the perfect, imperfect engagement ring. Something the team at Wabi Sabi and Johan worked on for several months.

– We have quite similar aesthetic sense and BEAUTY IN IMPERFECTION that jewelry designers put into the term Wabi Sabi resonates very much with both me and my girlfriend, Kristin. I have previously bought her a ring from the Mingle collection that she wears every day, so I knew that Wabi Sabi was "on the right track", says the ski jumper.

Support local actors

The former Olympic champion first became acquainted with Wabi Sabi through social media, and has since grown so fond of the style that many Christmas and birthday gifts have come from the unique jewelry studio in the historic backyard of Mack Brewery.

– It is important to support local players and this cornerstone company is also very special. It was a natural choice considering this particular ring, says a conscious Johann.

Either I'm the dream customer, or a waste of time

– When we started the process, I felt demanding and at the same time unaware of what was possible to achieve. Which can go both ways; either I'm the dream client or I'm a waste of time. Fortunately, Wabi Sabi saw this as an exciting project and took on the challenge head on. I came in without a deadline and without a defined budget – I just wanted something beautiful and unique, says the ski jumper.

New method

– Johann knew what he was looking for and it was clear that this ring was going to be something very special. To achieve the desired result, we had to develop new methods to achieve the goal, says Dagmar.

This involved a new method of attaching the stones and the casting itself was also quite demanding.

– When we carried out the casting that we had been preparing for for a long time, and it didn't go according to plan, we had to put the project aside for a few days.

Johann was very understanding and wanted this ring to be perfect and did not stress the process.

The collaboration was very good, we updated him along the way and he gave us sensible and accurate feedback all the way and we worked well together to arrive at the desired result. It was an incredibly exciting project that both we and Johan learned a lot from, says Ann-Merete.