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Pierre-Yves Paquette’s Moebius No. 1

By Tina Snyder

One of the most famous and curious shapes in mathematics, the Möbius strip was the inspiration behind the 2019 first place winner in the Saul Bell Design Award’s gold/platinum category. Translated into the Moebius No. 1 mixed metal ring by Pierre-Yves Paquette of Saint-Jerome, Quebec, Canada, the Möbius strip is a surface with one continuous side formed by joining the ends of a rectangular strip after twisting one end 180 degrees. But you’d be hard pressed to find the seam where the two sides of the strip meet in this ring: The craftsmanship is as fascinating as the shape that inspired it!

The three-tone 14k gray gold, 14k red gold, and sterling silver ring set with malaya garnets may look simple, but it took Paquette quite some time to plan and execute. “The fabrication of this piece is quite complicated,” he says. “Simple shapes create more challenge since there is no room for error, or else it will show right away.”

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