Women are redesigning or upcycling their jewels faster than they are remodelling the kitchen. It isn’t just grandma’s vintage ring that is being transformed—they are redesigning their engagement rings (even after just a couple of years) and contemporary pieces, too.
The rush to redesign took off during the pandemic while we were stuck at home and found ourselves scrolling social media far more than we would like to admit. Those extra hours wistfully admiring beautiful homes motivated more people to redesign their interiors, and at the same time they also discovered jewelry designers whose style caught their attention. One of those jewelers who earned a new following during the pandemic is New York-based Brent Neale who says women began direct messaging her on Instagram inquiring about resetting their stones into her signature gypsy-set rings, and she could hardly keep up with the requests.
Truth be told, I was one of those people. My husband’s grandfather’s emerald ring was collecting dust in his drawer, so after seeing Neale’s stylish resets (she tempted Instagram viewers with before and after images), I contacted the designer. She removed the emerald from the old ring and set it in a sleek gold gypsy-set ring. Thank you, grandpa, I wear it every day.
You can forget about any lingering feelings of guilt when breaking apart a family heirloom or sentimental gift because today the notion of “upcycling” – reusing what you already own– is considered an ethically conscious choice. Why buy new when you already have fabulous unworn diamonds and gems?
The jewellery redesign isn’t anything new – it’s been going on for centuries. When the Art Deco movement became all rage, for instance, suddenly those feminine and finely detailed Victorian and Edwardian pieces appeared out-of-date. So, women removed the stones from their old pieces and had them remade into striking Art Deco-style pieces; it made economic sense.
“There is a certain element of our jewelry box that has to follow fashion,” Frank Everett, Sotheby’s Director of Jewellery, once told me. “Jewellery doesn’t stand on its own like a piece of art hanging over the fireplace.” That’s one reason some women are taking older pieces –even from the 90s and early aughts – which don’t easily blend with their style and are remaking them into everyday jewels.
The redesign is also motivated by a woman’s personal evolution. That’s the case for countless young brides who fancied a solitaire diamond ring with a halo when they were in their twenties, and ten years on want something more individual or perhaps discreetly set in a chunky gold band. The most common requests for New York jewellers Alison Lou and Nina Runsdorf are remaking women’s classic diamond engagement rings into something that reflects their personal style and lifestyle.
It’s a trend that will undoubtedly gain momentum because the fact is we have an aging baby boomer population who are leaving jewelry boxes full of unworn gems to their children. Remember those big 80s and 90s pieces? Well, a new a generation is inheriting those heavier designs, and many are stashing them away in a drawer because it doesn’t appeal to them. The Independent recently conducted a poll which revealed that more than £6.2 billion worth of jewellery is collecting dust in boxes across the UK.
What makes this period different than past shifts in style is that we have more access to design ideas and designers on the Internet and social media. And whether you are looking for a designer or brand online or simply searching for an appealing design and bringing it to your local jeweler to have made, consumers are empowered to find a style they love, a jewel that sings to them, and they don’t feel guilty about the redesign – because everyone’s doing it.
London-based designer Jessica McCormack has become a go-to source for women looking to refashion their unworn jewels into stylishly modern designs. One of her most popular transformations is using old diamond from rings and brooches and setting them in darkened metal pendants on long gold chains: It converts a vintage-style ring into a modern amulet that a woman can wear every day. The company says its bespoke business was up more than 70 percent last year, and a lot of it was redesigns.
Today’s more casual lifestyle doesn’t mean that women wear less jewellery—or even less important jewellery—it simply requires a different style. It’s not passing judgement on past jewelry designs, it’s just that nobody should feel stuck with an expensive jewel piece that doesn’t suit their personal style.
While some designers have expressed hesitation in redesigns because it’s often not the most profitable transaction, it’s a smart long-term strategy. It creates a personal dialogue with a client and establishes a relationship, and it’s further proof that quality diamonds and gemstones have many lives and are worth the investment. The redesign is a way to keep a family heirloom or sentimental gift and get more use out of it. Regardless of the design, the stone will still remind you of that special person.
When you are considering your next jewelry purchase, always invest in a top-quality diamond or gemstone because it can live on, and on in many iterations.
The bottom line: Women want to hold onto the sentimentality and significance of family jewels, but they also want to express their individuality in a custom design
