What to do with your heirloom jewellery

What to do with inherited jewellery?

Have you inherited or accumulated old jewellery over the years and you do not know what to do with them? You take them out from time to time, but you immediately put them back in their hiding place. You know that they are made of precious metals and some are adorned of beautiful stones, nevertheless you have not worn them in years or even ever. The designs are simply not to your liking. You hesitate to sell them because of their sentimental value. These jewels belonged to your mother, to your grandfather and they all come with their own unique story. If this sounds familiar, have you ever heard of jewellery transformation or what we like to call upcycling?

Solution: Jewellery transformation

Transformation is a physical and artistic process that allows you to give new life to old jewellery. With the help of an experienced jeweller, you explore the various possibilities of transformation. With the help of 2D or 3D drawings, you can clearly visualise the work to be done and the final result. By reusing the original materials and stones, the soul of the jewel remains and its new look will make you want to wear it. Moreover, it is an eco-responsible gesture. If you are now thinking of taking your jewellery out of hiding, you have three choices.

A small change

Often, only one small change is needed to bring the jewel back to its full glory. You like the original shape of the jewel as it is closely linked to a memory but the size or function of the jewel is not appropriate. It is therefore possible to make a slight modification to keep the original appearance while making it more attractive to wear. Why not transform a ring that is a little too large into a beautiful pendant?

Monolithic ring with green tourmaline transformed into a pendant with the tourmaline mounted on claws below a block of white gold.

The great metamorphosis

As in life, sometimes big changes are necessary. You have a ring that is completely out of fashion, 18k gold earrings with emeralds and a few gold bracelets. By recycling all these metals, you can afford the design and production of a brand new ring. 

Several gold jewels with diamonds and emeralds are transformed into a white gold ring with diamonds and emeralds.

Financial compensation

It may well be that your heirloom jewellery means absolutely nothing to you. All you want is a fair financial compensation for them. The resale value is often very disappointing and will be even more so if you do not deal with people you trust.  Don't hesitate to seek references from your friends to avoid this happening to you.

a hand with a bundle of Canadian $100 bills that leads to another hand

Do not sell your jewelry

One last piece of advice before we leave you: Do not sell your jewelry! We often repeat this phrase to our clients as it is the least advantageous solution for your legacy jewelry. At Flamme en rose, we believe that there are a variety of possibilities to meet your desires and your wallet. Here are several examples of transformations we have done. Make an appointment to discuss your transformation project. We charge $100/hour for all work to evaluate your jewelry to be transformed. This fee will be credited to you 100% if you decide to go ahead with the transformation project.