Jewellery: Three heartfelt renos

Two friends and I embarked on renos with the same jewellers, with different starting points, but  a shared goal: to change something unworn to a sentimental piece full of love and family history.

Small: Third time around for a tiny-diamond ring 

This ring began nearly thirty-five years ago as a Richard Booth (now closed) 3mm white gold band with a row of seven 1.2-2.5mm graduated diamonds, a birthday gift from Le Duc when we were starting our life together. 

After about a decade, I wanted a wider band, so asked Pam Chandler and Don Collins of Artwork Gallery to make a 10mm knife-edged band sprinkled with those stones plus a couple more. (See photo below, upper right.)

On a much wider band, the stones looked rather lost; I thought I'd add more diamonds—maybe even full pavé—but that seemed too dressy for me, and I'd glance down at my jeans and think, That's not quite it. Over the past two years I built an idea file, but always returned to Pam and Don, world-class designers and technical masters, as my first choice. They too did not think adding stones was the solution.

We Facetimed to explore options; I spotted one of Don's designs that delivered the looser, more playful look I hoped for. It was made in silver with a ruby, but I could see it gold; I had only to buy a bit more. The diamonds prance across the bar and are also flush-set into each end. Le Duc's gift has its third version, and it's a keeper.

Redesigned white gold and diamond ring

Medium: Gwen's pendant

The day she found out her expected baby would be a boy, Gwen (the very Gwen of the marvellous  perfumeniche) went to Birk's in Toronto and bought a ring set with three fine sapphires and nine small diamonds. She never wore it, and now that boy is a handsome man of thirty—high time to reno!

She took the ring (sorry, no photo) and some orphaned gold to Pam and Don, and asked for a pendant. Every detail, from the textured finish to the double chain, is perfect. The shot doesn't do the stones justice; I sat across from her in a candle-llit restaurant and saw those sapphires flash!

Gwen's "It's a boy!" sapphires

Big—really big: B.'s Cartier diamond

B.'s aunt left her a 1930's Cartier ring (that's a 3ct. cushion-cut, baby). She had it restyled in the late '80s by Secrett into a geometric art deco brooch that she wore on her business suits. She wanted something discreet for work; most colleagues assumed it was vintage costume.

I admired it for years, but when she retired, B. stepped away from suits and wanted a ring again. The jeweller who made the brooch had not returned the Cartier mount, which she regrets.

Artwork made her chic negative-space (also called a "wrap setting") ring, which I'm trying on in the photo, quite a thrill. (A pinky ring on me, but it fits her ring finger.)

The informally chic B. wears it with everything, as casually as if it it were my tiny-house equivalent.

I model B.'s stunning heirloom

Whatever their size, good stones should be worn. Both Gwen and B.'s sapphires glow, and that Cartier diamond is mythic. 

If you're thinking of a reno, ask if the material is worth working with. Diamonds are nearly always salvageable. Sapphires and rubies are hardy too, but may have internal inclusions that cannot withstand a setter's hammer. Many softer stones like topaz, moonstone and tourmaline can revive spectacularly after repolishing.

The artistry of exceptional jewellers is now more accessible than ever thanks to video calls, something I did before 2020, but am even more comfortable with now. 

If you've been walking through the Passage for awhile, you will know I receive no compensation for putting anyone's work in the windows. I share what's exceptional, interesting or a really good buy, as I see it. Such autonomy is of great importance to me.