Symbols of Change

A Heirloom Reimagined

One of my favorite parts of designing jewelry is figuring out what someone will actually want to wear. Not just for a special occasion or with a particular outfit, but as part of their everyday life.

When a client came to us with a diamond cross and a pair of diamond stud earrings that she no longer wore, we had an opportunity to create something entirely different using the stones she already owned.

The diamonds happened to work beautifully together in size and proportion, which gave us a great starting point. But before thinking about the design itself, I wanted to understand how she dressed, what she gravitated toward, and how jewelry fit into her daily routine.

Designing for the Person, Not Just the Jewelry

She had a very refined sense of style. Understated, sophisticated, a little sharp. What we might call quiet luxury today, although she had been dressing that way long before it became a popular term.

Her days were also varied. She might start the morning being active, head into board meetings, and finish the afternoon at school pickup.

I wanted to design something that felt appropriate in all of those settings without requiring much thought.

A traditional pendant necklace on a longer chain didn't feel quite right. It would have been an obvious way to repurpose the diamonds, but it wasn't necessarily the best choice for her.

Instead, I started thinking about a shorter, more substantial gold necklace. Something that would sit close to the neck, have a little presence, and feel just as natural with a T-shirt as it would with a beautifully tailored jacket.

What Makes Jewelry Timeless?

I spend a lot of time studying historical jewelry, and one of the things I find most interesting is how often design comes back around.

Styles that seem entirely new are frequently reinterpretations of something that existed decades, or even centuries, earlier. Proportions change, materials are used differently, and the way we wear jewelry evolves, but certain design elements have a remarkable ability to remain relevant.

I think that perspective has helped me develop a pretty good instinct for distinguishing between something that's having a moment and something that will have staying power.

That's not to say there's anything wrong with trends. Jewelry should be fun, and sometimes a piece that captures a particular moment is exactly what someone wants.

But when I'm designing something custom, especially using jewelry that has personal significance, I tend to think a little further ahead.

Will this still feel right in five years? Ten? Will it work as someone's wardrobe changes? Can it be worn in different ways?

And perhaps most importantly, does it feel like the person wearing it?

Timeless jewelry doesn't have to be delicate or traditional. Sometimes a bolder, more architectural design has greater longevity because the proportions are right and the piece isn't dependent on a particular trend.

A New Life for Eight Diamonds

For this necklace, we used all eight diamonds from her original jewelry and set them in rounded gold settings, spaced along a series of curved 18K yellow gold bars.

The result was a 16-inch necklace with a substantial gold presence, balanced by the brightness of the diamonds.

I liked the contrast between the clean, structured lines and the softness of the round settings. The design had enough character to stand on its own but was simple enough to layer with other necklaces.

It felt modern without being overly trendy, which was exactly what I had hoped to achieve.

And because the diamonds came from pieces she already owned, the necklace retained a connection to her original jewelry, even though the finished design looked completely different.

That's one of the things I love about reimagining heirlooms. You don't necessarily need to preserve the original form to preserve what makes the jewelry meaningful.

From Custom Design to Signature Collection

What began as a one-of-a-kind design for this client eventually became part of our Signature Collection.

I hadn't set out to create a new collection piece. I was simply trying to find the right solution for her particular style and lifestyle.

But once the necklace was finished, I realized how versatile the design could be for other women, too.

It had the qualities I look for in jewelry that becomes a mainstay: beautiful materials, considered proportions, and enough personality to feel distinctive without being difficult to wear.

Years later, it's still a design I love.

And I think that's what makes this transformation especially satisfying. We took diamonds from jewelry that was no longer being worn and created something that could become part of an everyday wardrobe for years to come.

Sometimes the best way to honor a piece of jewelry's history is to give it an entirely new future.

Explore our Heirloom Reimagined projects or learn more about how we can transform your existing jewelry into something you'll love wearing again.

Have jewelry you’d like to wear in a different way? Explore heirloom jewelry redesign.