We had previously created a beautiful bracelet for her, designed by her husband and fabricated in our shop (https://www.rweberjewelry.com/portfolio/intertwined-two-tone-bangle-with-diamond-bezels/), so when she returned looking for a special birthday gift for her niece, the brainstorming began immediately. She brought in an assortment of loose stones, jewelry components, and family pieces to explore. Among them was a ring that had belonged to her mother. As she shared the story behind it, one detail became especially important: her niece had been very close to her grandmother. My first thought was to simply size the ring for her niece, but there was one problem. She doesn’t wear rings. Then she showed me a photograph of her niece wearing a stack of bracelets. That changed everything. We decided to transform the ring into a bracelet while preserving the original piece as completely as possible. One of the primary challenges was engineering the bracelet so the ring would remain centered on the top of the wrist and function securely as part of the design. To keep the project within budget, I suggested using sterling silver for the bracelet while retaining the original gold ring. The two-tone combination worked beautifully and gave the finished piece a fresh, contemporary look. I sourced several bangle-style bracelets before selecting one with bead details that complemented the character of the ring. From there, my goldsmith and I worked through the mechanics of incorporating the ring into the bracelet so it would serve both as the focal point and as part of the clasp system. The final construction uses the natural tension of the bangle along with the existing design of the ring to keep the piece securely in place, all while keeping the closure visually discreet. Best of all, we were able to preserve and use the entire original ring. The finished bracelet became more than a birthday gift. It allowed her niece to wear a piece of her grandmother’s jewelry in a way that suited her own style while keeping the original ring and its history intact. After receiving the gift, she shared these wonderful words:
“Kirsten LOVES her bracelet. She immediately recognized her grandmother’s ring and is just thrilled. It looks beautiful on her. Thank you! And John also loved it and thought the engineering was brilliant.”
For me, that is exactly what thoughtful jewelry redesign should do. Preserve the memory while creating something that can be loved and worn again.
- Materials: Karat gold, natural genuine blue star sapphire, sterling silver
- Client location: Avon, CT
