His eclectic rings are not for everyone, and he does not expect everyone to understand either. Byzantine and Ottoman themes, fruits and animals are hidden among a total fascination for icons, portraits, ornaments and crests admired by jewellery designer Sevan Bicakci as a child growing up in the heart of Turkey.
His excitement is evident in every intricate indent as well as in his eyes when he begins to explain his one and only passion — jewellery.
Unique
Today, from his studio in Istanbul's 500-year-old Grand Bazaar, Bicakci turns out one-of-a-kind jewels crafted from gold, sterling silver, rose and antique-cut diamonds and a mix of uniquely-cut gemstones.
But for those of you who are imaging the usual, pretty gemstones, mounted on gold and silver settings, your expectations will be astonishingly exceeded.
At first you see a giant mass of colour but look closer and you see the cogs actually turning in his mind as he dreamt up such a piece.
Snakes, temples and birds are hand-carved into the underside of precious gem stones before they are mounted on breathtaking structures, lined with diamonds and micro-mosaics.
Appeal
While international in appeal, nowhere are his works of art more at home than in the Middle East.
So luckily for Dubai, Bicakci selected the city for his first boutique outside Turkey.
As I pushed open the heavy, brown doors at the new store in Wafi City, I had no idea I was just about to leave the bland floors of the shopping mall and make my way into a magical land where jewellery is brought to life through imagination and tradition.
He said: "This is a very exciting move for me because we don't even really have a store in Turkey, only the workshop. Although my rings are available all over the world this is the first Bicakci Boutique in existence."
The store houses the exciting new collection even before it is unveiled to the rest of the world.
With no two creations are same, each piece reflects the distinct Bicakci touch in a style that is all its own.
He added: "My designs come from my heart. They are inspired by life and the world around me and each piece has a piece of me, etched somewhere deep inside it.
"Each design can take up to six months to get right on paper. I have a fantastic team of around 15 people who brainstorm each idea down to the final details and then the rings are made by a number of specialists in mosaics, carving and colouring."
Original
Although the techniques Bacakci uses are borrowed from the icons and monuments that surround him, his jewellery is 100 per cent original.
He said: "I came up with the processes for producing my jewellery in this way and have taught a number of people over the years. I wanted to produce something which was a reflection of the enigma that is Turkey today. It's almost as if we live in a place which cannot decide whether it is east or west. The country has such a mixed identity and I believe my pieces bring that to life. They say you can have heritage and tradition but still move with the times and be modern."
But the pieces really do speak for themselves. Everything about them is distinctly exotic and original, and cannot be categorised.
Magical
Like rings, bracelets and necklaces from a magical land, for a split second I was lost and imagined placing a ring on my finger and being transported to a far away land where unicorns play and everyone has horns! Crazy, but it's exactly how the pieces make you feel.
There are worlds within Bicakci's jewellery that only his eye has imagined, before his hand went to work on the precious metal and you find yourself picturing the worlds as he once saw them.
Relatively new to the industry, Bicakci unveiled his first collection to an unsuspecting audience in Turkey in March 2002.
Pride
Today his creations line the shelves of the most prestigious jewellery houses in the fashion capitals of Europe, America and the Middle East and occupy pride of place in the private collections of jewellery connoisseurs around the world. With prices starting from Dh25,000 and ranging up to a massive Dh600,000, the pieces are unimaginably beautiful.
Born in Istanbul's Samatya district in 1972, his homeland is undoubtedly Bicakci's greatest muse.
He explained how it all began. "My apprenticeship began early as I learnt my craft under the much-respected hand of Hovsep Chatak, an Armenian jeweller, who gave me a job when I dropped out of school at 12. The techniques I was taught included metal-based painting, engraving, calligraphy, intaglio carving and micro-mosaic setting. They are skills which lend themselves to jewellery designed from the soul rather than technology-aided design.
'Biggest break'
"I still consider getting this chance to work with one of the masters at such a young age my biggest break."
Having received a string of accolades including two Town & Country Couture Awards as well as the Tanzanite Foundation Award for Best Independent Designer of 2007, his designs now have a universal appeal.
One of a kind
Prices start from Dh25,000 and go up to a massive Dh600,000. For the price, the pieces should be unimaginably beautiful — and they are.