Customization Options

We offer a wide range of customization options to suit your individual style and preferences. From necklaces and bracelets to rings and earrings, we can work with any piece of jewelry, including vintage and heirloom pieces. Our experienced team will collaborate with you to understand your vision and the sentimental value of your heirloom piece, exploring various options to create a stunning and meaningful new creation that will be cherished for generations to come.

How to Repurpose Several Pieces of Jewelry into One New Piece

If you have several pieces of unworn jewelry, whether inherited or otherwise, you can often use their materials to create one new piece that is a better fit for your style. Before you begin redesigning in your head, however, you should know that some smaller gemstones can be difficult to recover and reset, and stones which are damaged or have many blemishes or inclusions may not be candidates for repurposing.

Your jeweler can examine your unworn jewelry and help you understand what is possible based on each item’s condition. Together you can create a new design that you will be glad to wear out of the house instead of relegating it to the back of your jewelry box. If you have a drawer full of unworn rings in your jewelry box because you do not wear rings anymore, for example, you might consider repurposing them into a pair of earrings, as seen below, or another item that will get more use.

Repurpose Inherited Jewelry

While there are some instances where jewelry redesign is sought explicitly to remove the meaning attached to an item, such as when repurposing wedding rings after a divorce; there are other instances where repurposing is desired with an aim to preserve your jewelry’s history, which is often the case with heirloom jewelry.

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If you have inherited jewelry after the death of a loved one or upon reaching a milestone in your life, you may find yourself with a piece that is in need of repair, or one which needs updating or restyling to suit your taste. A frequent concern in the latter instance is whether repurposing an inherited item will cause tension or hurt feelings. You know your family best, so use your experience to help you consider how you should approach an heirloom redesign.

What is the proper etiquette for repurposing inheritance jewelry?

Is it common in your family for the recipient of inherited jewelry to restyle it? If this is the case, you can likely discuss your plans openly without concern about receiving an adverse reaction. For instance, if your grandmother gave you a necklace from her collection to celebrate your college graduation and shared that she created it from a brooch given to her by her grandmother, you might say “How did you decide to create a necklace? I was thinking of creating a new pair of earrings, but I wanted to hear about your experience first,” to start the conversation.

If you receive an heirloom item as part of an estate after the death of a loved one, however, you may want to wait until you and your loved ones have had adequate time to mourn before you broach the subject. Your grandmother’s pearls may not be your style, but if members of your family have an attachment to their memory, they may not react positively to talk of repurposing them one week after her funeral.

In any instance, it is best to be guided by the intentions of the giver. It is not uncommon for families to invest in fine jewelry for both their present enjoyment as well as a future purpose of passing it onto the next generation, with the expectation that pieces will be restyled to suit the style of each recipient

If you received a piece of estate jewelry that you will not be able to wear in its current form due to style, size, or another issue, you may find that the best way to honor your loved one is to repurpose it so that you can enjoy it as they did rather than keeping it locked away.

At Carats and Stones, we hate to think that what was once someone’s treasure is now hidden away as a useless bauble taking up space in a box. Bring it to us so we can rekindle its beauty and regenerate its value.

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Investing in New Jewelry for Future Repurposing

Many families consider investments in fine jewelry to be an investment in the future. Over the years, we have worked with many families whose designs are created not only for the current owner but for the future generations who will inherit them.

Sometimes this may be a grandparent buying loose diamonds and gemstones which she intends to give to each grandchild to include in their wedding jewelry. Other times, this may be a mother who buys and wears a pair of earrings which she plans to repurpose and give to her daughters when they are older, such as in the example above.

Consider the entire collection when investing in heirloom jewelry

One of the benefits of establishing a relationship with a jewelry designer that you trust is that they will be familiar with not just your jewelry, but with your family and its history, as well, making them uniquely able to help you see where each piece falls in your collection. If you are investing in fine jewelry with a broad view of not just its current purpose but also its future owner, partnering with a family jeweler will allow both you and your afterbears to repurpose items in a manner that considers your entire family collection and preserves their meaning.

For example, a ring such as the Eliza ring in the case below might be redesigned into a new necklace, as shown here:

Your Source for Jewelry Repurposing in San Francisco

Carats and Stones’ expert jewelers transform outdated and unwanted pieces into uniquely personalized jewelry you will cherish forever. Simply bring your jewelry into our showroom, and we will offer you a range of options, helping you envision the statement necklace that’s possible by repurposing Grandma’s hat pin, or the perfectly chic earrings hidden away in a gaudy 1950s cocktail ring.

Our jewelers offer a combination of artistry and expertise to repurpose or renovate any style of fine jewelry, bringing the beauty of the past into a contemporary aesthetic that is an expression of the here and now. When you are ready to pass a piece along, we can help you or your loved one create a gorgeous new design that incorporates your original materials so it can bring them joy for decades just as it did for you.

Book an appointment for a complimentary consultation, call us, or stop by our Union Street jewelry showroom in San Francisco’s Cow Hollow district. Our expert designers will work with you and your budget to refashion boring, bad or better-left-behind into fresh, fabulous, and festive!

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Repurpose a men’s ring into women’s earrings

Frequently, heirloom jewelry is passed down not only to the next generation but to a descendant of the same gender as the original owner, though this is not always the case. If you are a woman who has inherited your grandfather’s watch or ring, for example, you may find that there are plenty of options to repurpose the piece into one that is more fitting to your taste.

A men’s statement ring, such as the Orion black diamond ring, can provide nearly all of the diamonds needed to create a chic pair of earrings, such as in the example below. Your jeweler will be able to help you explore your different options and, if needed, find any additional coordinating gemstones that are necessary to complete your design.

Repurpose inherited jewelry into wedding bands

It is not uncommon for estate jewelry to live many rich and varied lives. A grandmother’s tennis bracelet, for example, might have been the source for the stones in your mother’s wedding and anniversary bands. What is more, it’s likely that many people wore and repurposed the jewelry holding those stones between the time that they were initially mined and your grandmother taking possession of them.

Precious gemstones are prized not just for their beauty, but also for their strength, which is part of the appeal of wedding jewelry created from heirlooms. While they come to you with a rich history, you and your partner will add to that history throughout your lives and possibly pass them on to your own children or grandchildren one day.

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FAQ

Can you repair jewelry?

Yes! Here is information on all repairs.

How long do repairs take?

Repairs typically take 2-4 weeks, depending on how busy we are.

Do you repurpose heirloom jewelry?

Yes! Here is information on repurposing jewelry.

Can you create something custom for me?

Yes! Here is information on designing a custom piece.

How much do custom jobs cost?

This really depends on what you’re wanting to create. Simply re-setting a stone would be a few hundred dollars, but creating a brand new ring can be thousands of dollars. Come by our shop or contact us for a free consultation!

Do you resize rings?

Yes! Here is information on all repairs.

Do you sell / re-sell watches?

No, we do not carry watches and we do not re-sell.

Can you fix my watch/change my watch batteries?

Yes! Here is information on watch repairs. We are certified to take in Rolex watches for repairs.

Will you buy my jewelry?

No, we do not buy jewelry.

Can I sell you my gold?

We melt gold and can offer scrap-metal pricing if you’d like to bring it in.

Do you do trade-ins or stone upgrading?

No, we do not do trade-ins, stone upgrading, or any such things.

Do you make grills or gold teeth?

We do not!

Can you restring my pearls or beads?

Yes, we can! Here is information on repairs.