“Things are not always what they seem.” It’s hard not to think of that age-old line when flipping through the new book on Turkish jewelry designer Sevan Biçakçi. Because, at first glance, what appears to be a show-stopper of a cocktail ring, already impressive enough with gobstopper stones and intricate metalsmithing, turns out to be a fantastical world of its own. Peer into the stonework and you’ll find, say, Istanbul’s monumental multi-domed and multi-towered Blue Mosque tucked inside. Or Scheherazade’s Palace. Or a flock of seagulls mid-flight.

Biçakçi’s signature technique is reverse-intaglio, which allows him to craft those scenic views in the belly of a gemstone. But he’s also a master at miniscule mosaic work and striking creations like bejeweled padlock pendants and an octopus-shaped ring, with a giant South Sea baroque pearl “head” and tentacles that climb over and up the hand. The 192-page Sevan Biçakçi, from Assouline, outlines his story as well as his Ottoman heritage and inspirations in great detail, but, really, it’s the images — and his designs — that speak volumes here.