Brooch the situation
Clients will often come to me with a collection of small diamonds from older pieces that are out of fashion or broken. If the stones are a random mix of sizes, there are several possibilities for giving them a second life.
A simple ribbon of gold bent and given a slight twist creates a versatile möbius strip-inspired form that can accommodate a number of stones of different sizes. They can, of course, also incorporate coloured gemstones, pearls, or an accent of small diamonds pave-set on the edge.
Another popular design is an inverted question-mark shape with different sizes of bezel-set stones soldered together in a pleasing, but random, arrangement appearing to float in the negative space.
Once, a client’s strand of classic small graduated akoya cultured pearls was sentimental, but rarely worn, and she wished to give them new life. I came up with a contemporary brooch/pendant redesign by creating a nest, of thin, yellow gold wires with the pearls attached to the ends of the wires. We accented the piece with a scattering of small bezel-set diamonds taken from one of her rings. The pin’s back was curved, making it inconspicuous so she can also slip a gold chain through a loop to wear the piece as a pendant. There were enough pearls to make matching pair of earrings to complete the set, too.
It’s always fun to renew antique pieces and update their design as jewellery, for me, it is primarily about sentiment rather than purely financial prosperity. But, if approached properly, it is possible to achieve solid margins, too.
Llyn L. Strelau is the owner of Jewels by Design in Calgary. Established in 1984, his by-appointment atelier specializes in custom jewellery design for local and international clientele. Strelau has received numerous design awards, including an American Gem Trade Association (AGTA) Spectrum Award, De Beers’ Beyond Tradition—A Celebration of Canadian Craft and twice winner of the German Award for Jewellery and Precious Stones Idar-Oberstein His work has also been published in Masters: Gemstones, Major Works by Leading Jewelers. Strelau can be reached via e-mail at designer@jewelsbydesign.com.
