My client’s husband was pulling up the old carpet late one night while rehabbing their 1950s home when something sparkly caught his eye. “I got you something”, he said. She called me to ask if it could be “real”. I inspected the piece and confirmed that it was in fact a gold, diamond and sapphire ring!! The cut of the diamond and the geometric style of the ring established that it was an Art Deco ring from the 1930s. It must have been lost years ago by the home’s previous owners, who were in their 80s.
My client remarked about the coincidence of discovering this treasure when she had never owned an engagement ring of her own! We repaired the ring by retipping the prongs to hold the center diamond securely and sizing it to fit her finger, just in time for her upcoming anniversary. Now she has an “engaging” story to tell!
When you are contemplating what to do with your inherited or found jewelry, consider repairing or refurbishing an older item or repurposing the gemstones to create a new piece. These alternatives enable you to give older pieces a new life that better suits your lifestyle, while honoring the family member (or previous owner) who passed it down. See examples of inherited jewelry that has been repaired, repurposed or redesigned on my website:
https://essexestateservices.com/client-cases/