Heirloom Redesign Guide
What’s Hiding In Your Jewelry Box?
From Unworn Potential to Wardrobe Staple
Using heirlooms in our custom jewelry projects is common here at InBloom Jewelry. Whether we’re helping clients redesign an outdated and unworn piece, or removing and reusing a sentimental stone in a brand new treasure, our heirloom transformations are always meaningful and often foreground sustainable reuse of materials and emphasize our clients’ family stories. Read on to explore the process of redesigning!
Let's Start by Reviewing Your Unworn Fine Jewelry
Give us a call or book online to schedule a Design Consultation. For your appointment, bring in the items gathering dust in your jewelry box and work with one of our knowledgeable designers to assess your pieces, decide on gemstones to re-use in a new project, and get refining credit for the precious metal value of any settings that you aren't going to use.
Our Co-Creative Process Takes The Lead
This is where creativity and endless potential spark original design. Tell us what is important to you. Will you wear your new ring or pendant daily? Or do you want something for a special evening out? What design elements inspire you? How can we honor the wearer—past and present—in your new design?
Some clients kickstart the design process by singling out a unique or meaningful gemstone they want to reuse, while others envision a redesign of an outdated heirloom so that it suits a different style. No matter what you want to do with your pre-existing jewelry, the InBloom designers are here to listen to your ideas, and ensure that your heirlooms are incorporated in your new piece however you want. If you need any extra inspiration, we can talk you around the gallery to look at our design collections, or show you images of other custom heirloom transformation projects we have done.
Stone Removal, Gold Refining, Precious Metal Recycling
Gemstone removal allows your gems to be taken out of their existing settings and used in a new custom piece, or replaced by another stone that is more to your taste.
Once stones are removed, many clients refine the settings that are left behind. This involves our designers taking in your precious metal items, weighing them, and giving you credit based on their precious metal value—this credit can then be put towards the cost of your custom piece.
Reusing existing gemstones and refining unused precious metals are great ways to sustainably create new custom jewelry, and ensure your unwanted materials are reliably recycled. Keep in mind that if our designers help you source new gemstones for your heirloom redesign project, we only purchase new stones through trusted partners like Stuller and Hoover & Strong who sell ethically-sourced gems. All precious metals we use are also recycled.
Heirloom Redesign in Action
The beautiful blue topaz pictured above was removed from a piece of inherited jewelry that wasn’t quite to our client’s taste. Set in an outdated pendant, it was once part of a piece her grandmother wore daily, but didn’t match her own style. Our designers helped her find the stone a new home in a Perfectly Imperfect cluster ring, accented by various diamonds that came from some of her other family pieces.
A popular type of heirloom redesign project is transforming vintage watches into bracelets by removing the watchface and replacing it with a gemstone. This example involved our client's Art Deco diamond watch—by adding in a dazzling lab emerald, we helped transform the unused timepiece into an elegant bracelet that our client will get more wear out of.
This client brought in a white gold diamond ring that she didn't wear very often. We helped transform it into a more traditional 7-stone ring in yellow gold. This is a common type of heirloom transformation project for clients who want to design custom engagement rings but incorporate diamonds they already own and put refining credit towards the total cost of design and creation.
Create the Next Generation's Cherished Heirlooms
Ready to bring in your jewelry box? Jewelry is personal; it represents our love stories, the most important relationships of our lives. Let us help you honor and share your story—book an appointment with our designers and give your family heirlooms a new lease on life!
