Use, Reuse, Recycle....

Very often I am asked to remake a client's jewelry. Many of us have been the grateful recipients of jewels handed down to us by mothers, grandmothers, aunts and other loved ones, and often we end up not wearing them because they are just not "us." In today's world, there is really no excuse to have your jewelry locked in a safe where it sits unworn, unseen and unenjoyed. So, when a client, or in this case a dear friend from my high school days, asks me to reimagine a family heirloom, I jump at the opportunity. My friend had been given two lovely diamond-set cocktail rings that she didn't wear. They were beautiful, set in platinum, and in their day would have been "on trend" and prized for their beauty and quality. She wanted something she could wear every day that was also versatile enough to dress up at night. We decided to turn her two rings into three that she can stack, wear one at a time, or mix with other rings as you can see below. Here's a look at the before and after....

the settings...

the diamonds...

the final product...the bezels are cone shaped and we burnished the smaller diamonds into the bands.  My friend loves peridot, so we added one to the mix. Mixing color into the stack is a fun option. Bringing an heirloom into the 21st Century is a meaningful way of keeping family memories and traditions alive. For my friend, these rings will forever be conversation pieces with a great history to share!