What to Do with Jewelry You’ve Outgrown or Never Liked in the First Place

It doesn’t matter how you came by the piece, sometimes jewelry just doesn’t work for you. You love your grandma, but her bracelet doesn’t match anything you own, so it sits in your jewelry box.

The diamond necklace your ex boyfriend gave you is gorgeous, but wearing it around your husband makes both of you feel a little weird.

Maybe it’s the perfect ring from your mother-in-law, but it’s just not practical because you “ding” it on everything and ruined your favorite sweater because it snagged.

You’re not the first person to be “stuck” with jewelry you can’t seem to love for the right reasons.

I understand, which is why more and more people are coming to me to help resurrect their heirloom pieces from the graveyard of their jewelry collection.

Here are a few scenarios where you might want to change something about what you currently have, but don’t know where to start.

How to Keep the Sentiment and Ditch the Style

Letting jewelry sit in a drawer makes my heart drop a little. Especially sentimental jewelry because it’s a record and memory of our lives.

It’s given to us by people we love and reminds us how important we are to them. When you love the person, but don’t care for the piece, redesign is a great option.

Sometimes I don’t have to completely start over if you’re open to creative ideas. For example, one customer had a bracelet from her husband she really liked, but would snag on everything.

Instead of melting it down and making a new bracelet, I was able to repurpose the bracelet as two earrings instead! Now, she still has the same style and gold her husband gifted to her, she just wears them in her ears instead of on her wrist.

How perfect is that? Here’s an example of a custom wedding ring redesign I’m especially proud of.

How to Keep the Jewelry and Lose the Sentiment

Other times, you love the piece, but it’s the person who gave it to you that you don’t care for. Maybe it was a gift from your ex or a friend you’ve fallen out with.

In this case, you can come up with simple changes to make it your own. Things like switching out gemstones and using them for new pieces gives you the same style, but a different feel when you look at it.

Plus, if you totally hate it - it’s fun to melt it down, start over, and make something that’s completely about you.

So you can see why I hate when jewelry sits unworn for years. No matter what the story is, you can make something you enjoy wearing!

Why Choose Allison Kallaway for Heirloom Redesign?

You can bring heirloom pieces to almost any jeweler to have them redesigned or use the stones in a different setting. When you work with me, you get guaranteed quality craftsmanship and unique design.

Nothing I create for my clients could be described as boring or ordinary. You’re really getting a custom piece of art that’s structurally perfect.

My necklaces hang straight, no more adjusting or flipping things around. All my designs are structured to “wear” right, because that’s part of the challenge and technique. In order to make a “perfect” piece of jewelry, it has to be practical to wear.

Have something in your drawer collecting dust? Get in touch with me today about your custom redesign options!