How to Update, Upcycle or Upstyle The Jewellery You Love But Can’t Wear

It could be said that antique jewellery is making a comeback, but this is slightly erroneous, it never went away.  However, our relationship with jewellery has changed, especially in this cost conscious society. Antique jewellery is something which offers the wearer deep intrinsic value.  Passed down between relatives, it carries meaning and usually contains a story.  But many pieces end up languishing at the back of a drawer as they are either too fragile to wear, or not to the wearer’s taste.  What should you do if you have been gifted a piece of jewellery you can’t wear? We caught up with Ruth Donaldson, founder of Heirloom London who wanted to share her handy tips with our readers. 

Determine Your Priorities

If you have been gifted a 1920s Cartier brooch, but you don’t like the design, then it would make more sense either to keep the Brooch to pass on, like a work of art, or else to sell it, as certain jewellery designs always carry a value to them.  Conversely, if you have been left a ring or pendant with an interesting stone in it, but little else to differentiate, then you are in a better position to consider up-cycling the design, or restyling it. 

Is it Worth Changing?

A few weeks ago a client showed me a pretty round ring, set with bright coloured stones.  She wasn’t quite sure what they were, but she thought that with some remodelling they would make an attractive new ring.  I wasn’t as sure, the stones looked very worn.  Closer inspection revealed they were what is referred to as ‘paste’, or glass.  Popular for imitating gemstones in the last two centuries paste jewellery was more affordable for a larger audience.  Most paste jewellery is not particularly valuable.  As such, remodelling the jewellery would not have created a piece of any greater value and the ‘stones’ would most likely have suffered further damage on removal. 

Don’t Want to Change it – What are the Options?

It is always worth considering how things might work together.  A pair of eternity style bands create a frame for other ring shapes.  Rings can also be stacked up.  Chains can be wrapped around wrists, pendants reworked as charms or unwanted earrings lined up through a safety pin to create an unusual brooch.

Do Want to Change it – What Now?

If you have been through the options, and decided that remodelling your jewellery will improve the appearance and enable you to enjoy wearing it then a lot of companies offer remodelling services.  The options are;

Adjust existing design to work more effectively.  In the case of these Southern Indian earrings, we changed the posts to a Western style, to enable them to be worn.  And in the case of this amethyst brooch, we restored it back to being a ring with a beautiful rose gold band with split shoulders.

Incorporate elements into a different design. This is the most cost effective way to upcycle into a new design, and is good when you have precious stones you’d like to reuse.  For example, our Georgia pendant is often a popular choice for reusing diamonds.

Incorporate elements into a design made for specifically for them. For example, a client received a necklace as a gift that wasn’t to her taste. So, we partnered with jewellery designer Sarah Jordan, to produce a unique designer creation, including earrings which could be dressed up or down with the necklace elements.

Can I Have a Piece Made with the Metal in my Existing Jewellery?

It is a nice idea to try to hold on to the metal which is already in existence.  However, it takes a lot of energy to melt metal and it will become increasingly brittle and fragile the more times it is heated.  To get back to the original strength the metal would need to be completely refined.  This uses a massive amount of energy, and therefore costs a lot too.

Evie Switzer

Heirloom London is a unique personalised jewellery buying service. Whether you need a sparkling engagement ring, flawless wedding bands or a beautiful gift, Heirloom will deliver the perfect piece to your budget specifications. Click here to visit the website.