What is sadder than jewels locked in a safe, not seeing the light of day because they don’t suit the current owner’s style, taste, or personality?
Many people end up with some inherited pieces in their jewelry box. Heirloom jewelry, by definition, designate pieces that have belonged to a family for several generations. I myself am lucky to have many of these from my late grandmother and great-grandmother, and some’s sentimental value is higher than their material value. Or you simply might have purchased a piece that you no longer like. In many cases, even if you love them for their sentimental value, or you have paid a lot for them in the past, you never can bring yourself to wear them as they just don’t feel right for you or your style. Selling them definitely not being an option, you leave them in the depths of your jewelry box. What a waste! There are, in fact, many ways to transform them into brand new and unique pieces that completely fit you and that you’d proudly wear.
How to have these heritage pieces remade into stylish, modern classics that you will enjoy wearing?
Jewelry Remodeling
The process
The unique nature of your inherited materials and the idea you have of the reworked piece will help the jewelry designer create a new one out of the original. They will first see the old piece and discuss different ideas, give you a few options. After you decide the nature of the piece (ring/ earrings/ bracelet etc.) they will prepare some sketches for your next meeting (and if necessary, get some additional stones for the new piece). Then the process of unsetting the old jewel and making the new one can properly start.
The re-use of the gems
A setting can be outdated gemstones are timeless. The first possibility is to retrieve a piece’s stones and use them in a new metal body. This might sound easier than it actually is: getting stones out of old jewelry is a pretty stressful job, since there is no replacement for an antique diamond that belonged to your grandmother! It should be done by experimented professionals. An old brooch’s stones might be used to create a new pendant or earrings; an old ring’s diamonds might be used in a new, modern one… The possibilities are endless! Do some research and discuss it thoroughly before taking the final decision.
If you have a sibling, it is also a nice idea to split the stones of your inherited jewel and use it to make a new piece for each of you.
An old ring’s stone set into a new pendant
An old ring’s stones set into a new ring
The re-use of the metal
If you want to push it a step further and also use the same metal of the old piece of yours, it is also possible but there are few points to consider. First of all, you should know that not all metals are worth melting to rework. While silver is pretty soft and easy to melt, its market value is quite affordable, so the worker fees would be much higher than what the piece is worth. It is therefore more logical to rework gold. Unless that silver piece was worn by your great-grandfather and you absolutely want to conserve it regardless, then of course go for it!
If you have an old piece that contains a big amount of gold, you can re-purpose not only the stones, if any, but also the metal: the gold will be melted and later used to create another piece. Sometimes, the addition of some grains is needed in order to increase the volume, depending on what you are turning the piece into.
The symbolic of jewelry remodeling
Re-using old material to make a new piece has a great symbolic and sentimental value. For instance, some couples gather old wedding rings from grandparents, or some old-fashioned or broken family jewelry to melt them all together before forging the metal into new wedding bands. This represents a symbolic (and alchemical!) joining of the two families, which will have much more sentimental value for their own future children and grandchildren.
The most recent and famous example of this was the ring that Prince Harry of Wales’ used to propose to Megan Markle. The two side diamonds belonged to lady Diana, as they were retrieved from a piece of her private collection, and the central stone comes from Botswana, a country which the couple especially cherish and have precious memories in. This way, the prince made sure to include and honor his late mother in this new phase of his life, and offered his future wife a ring that has a great sentimental value.
Megan Markle’s engagement ring contains two diamonds from Lady Diana’s private collection.
Whatever you choose to make from an old jewel that once belonged to someone special, it is certain that the emotional connection you get with the new piece will be exceptional, joining its story with your present, and adding to his value for future generations.
Image courtesy:
www.ringjewellery.co.uk
www.eleanorchristinejewellery.co.uk
© 2021 Paola Sleiman. All rights reserved.
