Remodelling an heirloom bracelet into a modern organic ring
Redesigning an inherited sapphire and diamond bracelet into a timeless yet contemporary ring
Not all of us are lucky enough to have an adventurous grandmother who owned fabulous jewellery. But B - my lucky client has one such relative and from her she inherited a gorgeous bracelet with sapphires and diamonds. If this bracelet could talk I am sure it would tell tales of great parties, beautiful ball gowns and dashing young men: a bygone era that her grand daughter will probably never inhabit. Instead her memories will be filled with house parties, hipster cocktail bars and summer music festivals, wearing her hair loose and her jeans ripped.
What to do with the inherited bracelet: Her options
So, what a shame it would be to let this bracelet sit in a drawer collecting dust as it did not suit her lifestyle nor her taste. The way I see it, from here, she had three options - sell it, put it back in the jewellery box and forget about it for another five years or remodel it into something she would actually like to wear.
Unless you are in a situation that involves fleeing a country or a bad marriage for your own safety, selling your jewellery should always be your last resort. You will never, ever be able to recover it and you will always, always think about it. Plus, you will never get more than scrap metal price and who knows what you will be able get for the stones.
Forgetting about it for another 5 years isn’t the best option either. There is never a perfect moment to remodel your old jewellery. Taking your antiquated jewellery and having it made into something new is like having a baby. There really is never a “perfect” time. But when you do have it done you will be able to enjoy it for longer.
Related: If you are thinking of redesigning a family heirloom into a unique and modern gem, be sure to read this post of what you need to consider.
Initial consultation to assess her jewellery needs
So B called me and we sat down to discuss the possibility of re-designing her heirloom bracelet. In our initial consultation we discussed what she would prefer to wear and rings really resonated with her. We discussed her lifestyle and sized her finger for rings. She came to me for my organic style of design and I was lucky enough to be given free design range to work with.
Designing the new ring using her own sapphires and diamonds:
I came up with initial sketches involving 3 sapphires and 6 tiny diamonds to add some sparkle. I also made two bronze mock ups for her to see what the ring would actually feel like. As much as I love a good sketch I do believe that nothing beats a 3D mock up. In my opinion, when you are commissioning jewellery and investing a certain amount of your hard earned cash, you should be able to get a good idea of what the final ring or pendant is going to look like.
We discussed the two mock ups and decided to go for a hybrid of the top of one and the shank or band of the ring of the other. Together we chose the sapphires from her grandmother’s bracelet to be used in her new ring.
The original bracelet is a beautiful piece of jewellery, intricate and exceptionally well made, involving over 20 sapphires and a considerable amount of tiny diamonds. I decided to leave the rest of the original bracelet untouched. Taking all the sapphires and diamonds out to use the gold is always an option but as we had decided to use 18 carat yellow gold instead of the 9 carat white gold the inherited bracelet was, it made no sense to remove the all of gemstones. To keep them in their original settings is the safest place for them.
I designed an organic and modern ring taking inspiration in the intricacies of the coral found in the sea as well as the amazing drawings of Ernst Haekel. It has a mixture of different size bubbles that give it an organic yet modern look, something I believe that is also timeless as it does not follow trends. Three large baubles to hold the sapphires and tiny dots to draw your eye in as well as holding places for the tiny diamonds that sparkle and glisten. A slim shank to show off the intricate top.
Making the new contemporary ring:
I then proceeded to make the ring using ancient gold smithing techniques that have been used for centuries and give jewellery that wonderful handmade touch that is so important and meaningful to me. Wax carving, granulation techniques as well stone setting are used by metalsmith workers from all over the world and are amongst my preferred techniques to use. The sapphires and diamonds were then set and the gold was given a matt finish. Finally, it was taken to the The Goldsmith’s Company Assay office for hallmarking.
Hallmarking is the last step but a very important one as having the Assay office verify and hallmark your jewellery is the only guarantee you have that the metal used is as precious as your jeweller claims it to be.
When I handed this project over was when the best bit came: Not only did I get to see her face and reaction to the final piece but I had the privilege of spending an afternoon listening to the most wonderful stories about her grandmother. A grandmother that had seen many years of Southern African history and lived to tell the tale. These redesign projects are so personal and meaningful to my clients and I always feel so privileged to get to work on them and hear their wonderful stories.
Related: To see other examples of my jewellery remodelling work, please click here.
If you have an old piece of jewellery collecting dust, why not give me ring and we can discuss the different options available for you?
My small jewellery business is located in Wimbledon, South West London, but if you prefer to work remotely I am happy to help you too.
