How to Breathe New Life into an Old Piece of Jewelry

When it comes to reworking an heirloom, there are countless directions we can take. Spend some time looking for inspiration, especially of designs with similar size and shape stones (you can browse our Instagram or library of past bespoke pieces to share with us!). Ask yourself: Do you want something simple? More intricate? Are you drawn to a more traditional or modern aesthetic? Do you want to add some colored gemstones to the design? Do you plan to wear this as an engagement ring or statement cocktail piece? All of these design details will help make the process seamless. 

We want you to be over-the-moon about your design, so more is more when it comes to design details that matter to you. Remember, our team collaborates with you to bring your vision and ideas to life!

Once your new heirloom piece is completed, we’ll provide you with an appraisal from a trusted 3rd party and guide you through the insurance process. Insurance is so, so key! We recommend insuring anything you’d feel gutted to lose. While the sentimental value cannot be replaced, the process will hurt a little less when you don’t have to pay out of pocket to totally replace it.

While one might think that an heirloom rework would be more cost effective because you’re supplying the bulk of the materials, that is not always the case. It completely depends on the heirloom materials and the scope of the project. If you’re supplying a 1.00ct Round Brilliant Diamond and asking us to set it in our Camille Solitaire, then it is more cost effective than buying the same thing brand new. If you’re wanting to create a custom band with stones from an heirloom broach, the pricing may be higher because we have to start from scratch: inspect & pull your materials, generate CAD renderings, grow a 3D model, create a one-off mold, cast the new mounting, set the stones, refine, polish and appraise the finished piece. When you buy something new from our line collection, we’ve gotten a head start on the process with the help of permanent molds, so we’re able to cut production time in half and offer a similar item at a comparable or lower price point. You may find yourself wondering, does the sentimental value outweigh the additional spend? Our job is to be transparent and help our clients navigate what makes the most sense for them and their budget! 

If it means something special to you, then it means something to us as well! We’ll never turn down a gemstone from a quality standpoint, however our team always inspects the piece before we pull it apart to make sure the stones are stable enough to withstand that process. Harder gemstones like diamonds and sapphires are almost always a yes but, while we love to work with softer stones (like emeralds, opals and tanzanites), these can be much more fragile. If a stone has lots of scratches on the surface, tiny chips or worn edges, we can actually have our lapidary do a quick polish and make the stone look brand spanking new again. However, if a stone is cracked, has surface reaching inclusions or seems fragile internally, then we’ll recommend leaving the piece intact. Better to have something to hand down than nothing at all!

The heirloom rework timeline can vary! If you know exactly what you’re looking to make and need zero exploration, the process takes about 8-10 weeks from start to finish. If you’re looking for us to source additional materials, create a design package, or run through several rounds of CAD edits, then that can increase the lead time to 10-12 weeks. 

Most heirlooms could be considered vintage or potentially antique depending on how old they are and the design era. But not all vintage pieces are heirlooms. Provenance is key! Where did the piece come from? You can buy a new-to-you vintage piece that will be an heirloom to your future loved ones but it’s not your personal heirloom presently. However, history has to start somewhere and whether the piece is new or vintage the history is starting with you… which is also pretty neat. That’s something we like to envision with almost every single piece that we create for our clients. One day, these pieces will be heirlooms and we want them to have that “something special” allure and be durable enough to withstand getting there, too.