The Heirloom Lab
Heirloom ring redesign,
for the stones you already own
Your grandmother's diamond was not meant for a drawer. We assess what you have inherited and reset it into a piece you will genuinely wear — keeping every stone that matters, and telling you the truth about the ones that don't travel well.
Start with a conversation →We reply within two business days
Six reasons people redesign
Almost every heirloom project starts from one of these. None of them require you to feel guilty about not wearing something as it is.
A ring that isn't your style
You love who it came from. You would never wear it as it is. Both things can be true, and neither has to win.
Stones in a safe deposit box
Loose diamonds do nothing in a vault. We set them into something that leaves the house on your hand.
A ring that can't be sized
Some antique settings cannot be resized without damage. Rebuilding the setting is often the safer path.
Several pieces, one idea
A brooch, two rings, a pair of studs. Small inherited stones combine into one piece you will actually reach for.
Diamonds from a marriage that ended
The stone is still yours, and it is still valuable. Reset, it stops carrying a story you have finished telling.
An upgrade that keeps the original
Move your center stone into a larger design, or ring it with new stones, without giving up the diamond he proposed with.
The Heirloom Lab, step by step
Four stages, no surprises. You approve the design before a single stone is unset.
Conversation
Send photographs of what you have, along with anything you know about it. We reply within two business days with an honest read on what is possible.
Assessment
We examine the stones properly — measurements, condition, whether anything is chipped or abraded. You get told if a stone should not be reset.
Design
You see renders before anything is cut. Nothing moves to the bench until the drawing is right and you have approved it.
Transformation
Your stones are set by hand into the new piece and returned to you fully insured, with the original metal accounted for.
Settings built to take your stone
These are designed around a center stone between one and five carats — which is to say, designed around the diamond you are already holding. Each can be adapted to the measurements of what you have.
Questions people actually ask
Can you reuse the diamonds from my inherited ring?
Almost always, yes. Old mine, old European, transitional and modern cuts all reset well, and antique cuts in particular look remarkable in contemporary settings. We check each stone for chips and abrasion first and tell you plainly if one is too fragile to move.
How long does an heirloom redesign take?
Plan on six to ten weeks from approved design to finished piece. Assessment and design take one to three weeks depending on how quickly renders come back approved; the bench work is four to six. If you are working toward a proposal or an anniversary, tell us the date at the start and we will tell you honestly whether it is achievable.
Can you reuse the gold as well as the stones?
Often, yes — old gold can be refined and credited toward the new piece. It cannot usually be melted directly into the new setting, because alloy and casting quality matter for something you intend to wear daily. We will explain which route applies to your metal.
What if a stone is chipped, or the setting is damaged?
Chips can sometimes be polished out, and a small recut may lose a little weight while noticeably improving the stone. A damaged setting is rarely a problem, since we are rebuilding it. We tell you what a stone needs before you commit to anything.
Can you turn a ring into a necklace, or into earrings?
Yes. Rings become pendants, pairs of studs, or a single bezel on a chain. If you inherited a piece too formal to wear, changing what kind of jewelry it is often solves the problem better than redesigning the ring.
I inherited several pieces. Can they become one ring?
This is some of our favorite work. Small stones from several pieces combine into a cluster, a five-stone band, or an eternity band, and the result reads as one considered design rather than a collection of fragments.
Do you work with clients outside Washington?
Yes — most of our clients are elsewhere in the United States, and we work internationally as well. The whole process runs by conversation, photographs and renders, and your stones travel fully insured in both directions.
What does an heirloom redesign cost?
Because you are supplying the stones, a redesign usually costs less than a comparable new piece. Our settings begin at $920, and every heirloom project is quoted individually once we have seen what you have — you get a firm figure before anything begins, not an estimate that moves.
Tell us what you inherited
Photographs and whatever you know about the piece are enough to begin. We will tell you what can be done with it, and what shouldn't be.
Begin your redesign →A reply within two business days