Jewelry that has been passed down through families from one generation to the next often carries great sentimental value. Whether it’s your father’s watch, your grandmother’s engagement ring, or a favorite piece from a loved one, these pieces become important to us and we want to protect them. But there are times when we receive heirlooms and find them to be in poor condition leaving us feeling our only option is to sell it. We’re here to offer some reasons as to why you should consider repairing your family jewelry instead of selling it.
1) Preserving Precious Heirlooms
Jewelry can tell a story. More often than not, you just cant put a price on a special piece of jewelry that has been passed from family member to family member for generations. Owners of these precious heirlooms often elect to continue passing along the piece of jewelry to the next generation. In order to do so, the piece must be properly maintained, especially if its worn daily. Repairing and maintaining an important family piece will ensure it reaches the next generation still intact. Chrysella often works on family heirloom pieces, restoring and rejuvenating them to their original quality.
Repairing family jewelry items can easily help you restore their shape and condition, allowing the special tradition to last many more years.
2) Making It Fit
If you’re hesitating handing down a piece of family jewelry because you know it won’t fit you, don’t worry! Almost all jewelry is able to be adjusted to size. Whether it’s shortening a necklace that’s too long or making a ring bigger, it can all be done! There are occasions where a sizing is too large of a change to be able to do the work without compromising the structural integrity of the piece, but keep reading for an idea that easily solves this issue! Click here to see just some of the repair work Chrysella can do to bring your piece back to life!
3) Less Than You Think
Sometimes your jewelry takes less work than you think to get it looking brand new. Glaring issues in a piece like missing gemstones, visible cracks, and discoloration can often be remedied for less than $200. Often times the investment of repairing the piece back to a like new state may increase its value!
4) Know What You Have
Often times a piece of jewelry is passed down through a family simply because of the sentiment around it, and less because of the value of the precious materials. Dropping off your family heirloom to get repaired is the perfect time to ask your jeweler to conduct an insurance appraisal. This would give you a full breakdown of what your ring consists of, and allow you to update your appraisal with the risen prices of gold and diamonds. Chrysella has a GIA Graduate Gemologist on staff who is able to expertly appraise and provide insight about your piece. Schedule an appointment today!
5) Repurposing The Piece
Styles come and go. Your grandmother’s engagement ring might just not be what you’re looking to give your significant other. Instead of selling the ring and using the money towards a new one, you should consider reusing the stones in the ring and setting them into a new setting. This preserves some of the original piece while still allowing you to design a custom piece that captures your vision. Chrysella specializes in custom design and love when we are able to help our clients transform their family jewelry into something new. To learn more about this process, click here.
Final thoughts
It’s rare to have a piece of jewelry that has been passed through generations, making it almost always worth it to repair. No matter the condition, you just cannot replace the sentimental value on these precise pieces. Finding the right jeweler can make the process of repairing and restoring jewelry easy, affordable, and special. Schedule an appointment with Chrysella today to bring in your family heirlooms and give them a second life!
