Re-Designing Love: Making Heirloom Estate Jewelry Modern
Estate jewelry comes from many different sources. Some people inherit cherished items of estate jewelry that belonged to their mother, grandmother, or great-grandmother. Depending on the wealth of the family, some of these pieces can be quite elaborate. Sometimes, a piece of jewelry that begins as a family heirloom often makes its way into the world to be sold to a collector who is not related by blood.
Whether the jewelry is of sentimental value or not, the person who intends to wear the estate piece may wish to have the jewelry repaired, tweaked, or completely re-designed, either to suit their particular tastes, to resize the piece to fit their body, or to fortify the piece so that it less likely to break. Jewelry deserves to be worn and should be revamped if the owner will wear it more. The following are some ideas to inspire a make-over for any pieces of estate jewelry laying in a box somewhere so that they can return to the world on a neck, finger, ear, or wrist.
Evaluating The Gemstone
The one thing that cannot be changed when an estate piece is revised is the shape of the jewels. When designing the new jewelry, the shape and color of the estate gemstones should be the main design element that is taken into consideration. The next step in the design process is to evaluate the wardrobe and metal preferences of the intended wearer. For example, a sapphire that is set into a gold band that looks outdated can be refreshed by removing the sapphire from the old band and setting it in a platinum silver band with a diamond encrusted bezel.
Think Outside Of The Box
When rethinking estate jewelry, don't get stuck believing that a ring can only be remade into a ring or that a bracelet must remain a bracelet forever. The gemstone in a ring can make a fine necklace. The gem can be reset into a bezel that rests on a shape like a circle or triangle, set into the front of a locket, or placed into a charm that can hang from a chain. The diamonds in a tennis bracelet could make some fine chandelier earrings.
Look At Trends
To get some ideas for re-designing an estate piece, visit a jewelry store to see what is in style right now. Using the stones from the estate jewelry in a brand-new design will be the perfect marriage of modern and heritage and will create a unique piece that can be passed on to future generations.
For more information and assistance, contact your local estate jewelry repair services today.
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