I love redesigning old jewelry, especially engagement rings. A lot of my female customers didn’t have any input into their original rings. Others — like me — felt pressured to go with a style that was more traditional than what they truly wanted. Redesigning the old rings gives those wimmins a chance to express their personal aesthetic through the jewelry they wear most often.
The mother of all redesigning opportunities literally landed in my hands last week. My own gorgeous mother, BarbaraB, had to have her engagement ring cut off her finger when it couldn’t be budged ahead of a minor medical procedure. (All is fine, health-wise.)
The ring, post-cutting. Photo from my Instagram account.
When I visited my parents in Florida last week, BarbaraB gave me her ring to “fix,” but I said I could do better than that. I’ve been envisioning a particular new engagement-ring design for the past several months. I wasn’t going to create it for my inventory though. My bridal-jewelry customers want everything customized, from the stones they choose to the overall design. Their needs are so personal that I don’t keep any rings in stock. I wait until I get an order to add a new look to my gallery, at which point one ring often inspires another one. For example, the Siobhan perma-stacked stacking ring from my regular collection …
Click to see on my website.
… inspired Susan’s engagement ring design …
Click to read about this redesign.
… which, in turn, inspired Heather’s engagement ring.
Heather’s side stones were original stud earrings that she never wore!
As you can see, all three rings share the stacking-ring look (though, really, the various bands within each ring are attached in back). There’s even one band design that appears in all three rings. But each ring is unique.
I asked BarbaraB if she’d be up for a whole new look and she said yes, as long as it is ready for my parents’ 50th anniversary in December. I’m going to start on this ring next month and you can expect to see it on this blog later this year. All I can say for now is that BarbaraB’s new engagement ring will make as big a statement as my own ring does.
My engagement ring on the left. Mom’s broken ring on the right.
If you’re thinking about becoming engaged sometime soon, prepare to be inspired!
I can’t wait to see it! Lucky your mom has you : >
I’m very excited to do this!
Exciting. After 50 years, I’m up for a new look.
It’s going to be a great one!
Oooh, excited to see the new ring!!