A young man called me because he wanted to surprise his girlfriend with an engagement ring. He wanted something special - a one of a kind piece that could incorporate a Maine tourmaline he had been given. We worked together over the phone and internet to design a very special ring. He told me about her likes and dislikes and that she didn't like traditional engagement rings, but liked organic, natural shapes. You can see the results. Oh, and by the way, she said yes! I'm looking forward to designing their wedding bands.
Have you tried Jewelry Recycling? Do you have jewelry that's just taking up space in your jewelry box? Often we own jewelry that has a nice gemstone or a beautiful clasp, but we don't particulary like the piece it's in. Or perhaps it's a necklace that needs restringing or has broken pieces or is out of style. Why not redesign? Maybe it can be reworked into a piece you'd like better. You'd be amazed at the new life you can unearth from a dowdy or unwanted piece. This is a great way to save money and not be wasteful. Through the use of a highly reputable precious metal refining company I can also help you recycle the metal from jewelry you don't like; you can use the proceeds to buy a re-made piece or new piece.
Here's a great example of recycling. My customer came to me with an old malachite necklace that didn't go with any of her favorite jewelry. She had a malachite bracelet that had a very clean, modern design. She wanted to know if I could reshape the beads from the necklace to match that bracelet and then create a new necklace that was more to her taste. Reshaping the old malachite beads not only unearthed new lustre from them, but, by having the gold from the old necklace refined, she was able to defray part of the cost of the new one. You can see the before and after pictures below. From Victorian to Modern, from fussy to clean, elegant and contemporary.
I've just completed a project for a customer who wanted to have her engagement diamond reset from a simple prong setting into a gold bezel setting that would more closely match her wedding ring. She used the proceeds from recycling 4 gold rings (including the old prong setting) to help defray the cost of her new ring. You can see the elegant results
Another fun idea is to make a cuff bracelet from a napkin ring. Maybe you have an unusual one tucked away in your buffet or have found an interesting one in an antique store. I found this beautifully engraved one in a store in Bath, ME. For me it's the type of interesting, one of a kind piece I love to wear!
Do you have odd pieces of sterling silver flatware that you don't use anymore? Why have them gathering tarnish in a drawer? They could be great pieces of jewelry in the making.
Spoon Rings! One of my customers had a number of spoons that were imprinted with the name of one of the wonderful old resorts here in Maine. She asked me to make rings out of them.
I've made several over the past few years. My customer's last note to me said, "They arrived in Boston today and my daughter is thrilled". You can see the results at right. Fun, interesting and meaningful!
"Thank you for creating my fiancee's engagement ring. We succeeded in creating a handcrafted, unique ring with a high level of refinement; it is a big hit. I say "we" since I feel like we were a team in this process, which meant a lot to me. I continue to discover details which remind me how much time, love and consideration went into making this ring special. I appreciate your commitment to truly understanding my fiancee, our relationship, and what she would value. The ring exemplifies my fiancee's connection to nature, which was a key driver in selecting you as an artist to create this ring. Thanks taking an interest and working so hard to create a ring which will be a reminder of this special time in our lives."
D.S., Arlington, VA
