what's old is new again- resettings
Erin DeLuca
I've been doing a fair amount of custom work lately and ring resetting is in demand with my clients. I feel resetting is an extraordinary way to take a sentimental piece of jewelry that spends too much time tucked away in a drawer and turn it into a treasured piece of your own to lovingly wear, sentiments intact. It’s difficult to fully express how honored I feel to be trusted to work on a piece like this. To me, the thing with resetting something so meaningful is that it becomes more than just a ring- it’s the past, the future, love and memories all rolled into one tangible, beautiful piece of adornment that you will be able to carry with you through life. So off I go into each project filled with excitement and emotion, and even a little trepidation. In the end, I want nothing more than to deliver something that will give you, my client, joy.
This ring was a special one for me to create, not only was this a ring passed down from a mother to daughter, but this resetting request was from family. A couple of years ago my cousin Claire contacted me about taking a ring of her mother's, sister to my grandmother Virginia (though always Grammy to me), and turning it into something more her style. She sent me some photos of designs I had done in the past that she liked, and it was fun to find the design she was most drawn to was a ring I had made my own mother a few years back! We went back and forth with different ideas until deciding on this design which is much more in tune with her own style and has the ease and wearability that she wanted for everyday. While the original ring is 14K white gold, we opted to use sterling silver for the redesign and incorporate the diamonds into a more airy and contemporary feel.
Here's a look at the process involved, be sure to scroll all the way down to see the final result!
The original 14K white gold ring before and after removing the diamonds- which we were able to repurpose in the new ring. Each diamond was carefully removed from their setting using gravers to avoid breaking or chipping the stones.
Laying out the design on the newly formed bands. Layout was an important step in this process to ensure everything would line up correctly when soldered. After marking the placements, I filed small notches for the settings to rest in and to help hold it all in place.
Soldering the first settings on and connecting the two bands. It was important to keep the placement of the settings as straight as possible when soldering so the final design would look symmetrical.
Next, I soldered on the (alternating side) settings in two batches.
A look at the ring just after being soldered together and then once the settings were filed down and the ring was pre-polished…now time to add the diamonds!
Setting the diamonds, one by one… After they are all set, it’s time for more clean up and a final polish!
Finito!
I love the way this ring turned out! It's clean and modern with just the right amount of sparkle. Most importantly it allows Claire to wear a piece of jewelry along with her mother’s memory with her each day.