Transforming Heirloom Diamonds: Crafting a Bespoke Engagement Ring from a Vintage Clasp
Bespoke jewellery starts with hand drawn designs
Working with heirloom jewellery is always an immense privilege. It is an extraordinary act of trust to hand over a treasured piece that belonged to a late grandmother, asking a designer to repurpose it into an engagement ring. Every single element of that process carries profound meaning: preserving your grandmother’s legacy, creating an engagement ring that honours your unique story, and symbolising the thrilling start of a brand-new chapter in your life.
Breathing new life into inherited jewels is quite simply one of my absolute favourite things to do as a jewellery designer. Hello, I am Militza Ortiz, a Wimbledon-based independent jeweller with over 20 years of hands-on experience designing and crafting bespoke pieces in London.
My clients, J and L, had already been building a wonderful life together for a long time. In fact, they were technically already engaged—they even had their wedding venue booked!—yet they still hadn't found an engagement ring that truly spoke to them.
The original clasp used to make the engagement ring.
The Inheritance: A Clasp Packed with Antique Old Mine Cut Diamonds
L had inherited a selection of magnificent jewellery from her grandmother, including a stunning three-strand natural pearl necklace. While the pearls themselves weren't being used, the necklace featured an ornate clasp set with over 50 antique old-mine-cut diamonds.
She knew she wanted to incorporate these gorgeous diamonds from her grandmother’s necklace clasp into her engagement ring, but she wasn't entirely sure what the final design should look like. That is where the collaborative bespoke journey begins.
During our initial consultation at my Wimbledon studio, we discussed several creative possibilities. Our very first technical step was to verify the quality and authenticity of the stones. Thanks to a trusted gemmologist I work closely with, confirming the authenticity and brilliance of the antique diamonds was a seamless task.
L’s brief was refreshingly open. She knew she strongly preferred warm 18-carat yellow gold over white metals, and she gave me full creative freedom to make design suggestions.
Main diamonds removed from the clasp
The Design Process: Exploring Ideas and Cluster Concepts
When redesigning heirloom stones, the central diamond is always the natural starting point. We explored several creative directions together:
A classic, timeless solitaire framing a single standout old-mine-cut stone.
A romantic toi et moi ring pairing a central diamond with a complimentary pear-shaped stone.
A traditional three-stone trilogy setting.
However, because the original clasp housed so many vintage stones, the potential combinations were virtually endless! After evaluating the sizes and sparkle of the gems, I suggested we select a few of the finest stones alongside some smaller accent diamonds to create a bespoke cluster ring.
Heading back to the drawing board, I crafted a series of sketches. Ultimately, we settled on a gorgeous, six-stone cluster layout designed with a slightly irregular, asymmetrical shape. This subtle twist stayed true to my signature organic design aesthetic, ensuring the final piece felt modern, artistic, and entirely unique to her.
A cluster of 6 old mine cut diamonds
The Crafting Journey: From Hatton Garden to the London Assay Office
Once the design was signed off, the meticulous hands-on work began. I carefully extracted the diamonds from the vintage necklace clasp with the utmost precision and care, leaving the pearls untouched.
Following my unwavering commitment to local, sustainable craftsmanship, the 18-carat yellow gold ring was brought to life through a close partnership between my Wimbledon studio and master craftspeople in London’s historic Hatton Garden.
Once the antique diamonds were securely set into the warm gold mounting, the finished ring was sent off to the London Assay Office to receive its official hallmark—providing an absolute guarantee of the metal's purity and its 100% British-made credentials.
The final result
The Result: A Legacy Honoured and Worn Every Day
I was utterly delighted to be entrusted with this commission, and seeing the final piece come to life was pure magic. When J and L returned to the studio to collect it, they were completely overjoyed with the results.
Personalised, bespoke jewellery remains the ultimate way to express your love, individuality, and personal style. Furthermore, reusing heirloom diamonds is a wonderfully sustainable choice. It allows you to keep the cherished memories of loved ones alive while recycling precious materials into something you can wear and treasure every single day.
There is nothing quite like watching a historic piece of family history transform into a modern heirloom. The end result almost always takes us by surprise, yielding a finished ring even more breathtaking than we originally imagined.
Ready to Redesign Your Inherited Jewellery?
If you have a collection of inherited, unworn, or vintage jewellery sitting in a box and you are wondering how to give it a fresh new life, I would love to hear your ideas.
A Wimbledon, London based jewellery designer/maker with 20 years experience.
I am passionate about envisioning and hand creating future heirlooms.
