Top
5 Questions
My name is Annie Koening, and I create “Jewelry from the Heart, Your Heart” designed for you. Over the past 30 plus years, I have gotten the same questions about Jewelry ReDesign over and over again. I’m delighted to share the Top 5 Questions with you here, along with my experience.
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Copyright 2013
Annie K Jewelry
All Rights Reserved
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# Question “Is it OK to change inherited jewelry... Is there a resetting etiquette and what are the issues to consider?” “I’m hesitant about changing the ring, and I’ll never wear it the way it is...” was Diane’s dilemma, after inheriting her grandmother’s engagement ring and prized sapphire and diamond ring. She continued, “I know Gram wants me to enjoy them, and remember her when I wear them; and their design is from her era, not mine. I mentioned redesigning them and I could tell Grandpa was uncomfortable. I want to honor Gram’s memory by wearing them instead of sticking them away in my safety deposit box. Can you help?” Does any of this sound familiar? I told Diane there were 3 choices-
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1- Keep the jewelry as is and not really wear it much. 2- ReDesign the jewelry to fit you, so you take delight in wearing it often. 3- Tuck it away in your safety deposit box, never to see the light of day.
Diane considered her choices, and decided on #2. Gram left her the jewelry to wear and enjoy. And with a ReDesign she would wear it often, smiling and thinking of Gram whenever she looked at it. Since these rings are all about family and tradition, Diane told me it was important to her that Grandpa felt good about her decision as well. Did I have any insights? Yes, first I told Diane that it was wonderful to include Grandpa in the process. That jewelry has memories of special times and places he shared with his wife. Now Diane will add new memories, mixing them with Grams for an even richer family history embedded in this jewelry. Be diplomatic in talking to Grandpa, letting him know how honored and grateful you are. I gave Diane some suggestions of things I have found worked well in different situations. First, stress that it’s not the memories you are changing, it’s the way they look- so you’ll cherish these same memories, looking at your hand every day and thinking of Gram; and that’s what you’ll treasure. As Diane talked with her grandfather, she told him how much this gift meant to her.
Here’s some reasons for redesigning jewelry that may make sense to your Grandpa:
1- You want to wear it every day, and are concerned about its current setting (you’re an avid gardener, an elementary school teacher, and work out a lot, etc).
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Annie K Jewelry
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2-It doesn’t work with your wedding bands, and you want to wear them together sometimes. 3-It doesn’t flatter your hand- visually too big or small for your finger. 4- The current setting needs repair, and the expertise involved would be prohibitively expensive. 5- You’d like to combine the pieces of jewelry together. It was also important to Diane that to share this whole process with her 10 year old daughter, so that her daughter would feel comfortable keeping the family memories alive in her own way when her time came.
Unknown to Diane, she was getting ready to join a rich tradition of ReDesigning Jewelry. In the past, the rich and famous would redesign their collections to be fresh and new again- not enough is written or publicized about it. One notable is the Dutchess of Windsor, who was known to disassemble a jeweled creation, and transform it into a gorgeous new piece that enhanced the center gemstone with a totally new look. Today, it just makes good sense- keeping family memories alive with the jewelry, getting a new piece of jewelry that is just your style, and adding your own jewelry story. It’s the ultimate in “green” recycling as well, and makes good economic sense. I smile and look down at my own engagement ring, set with my Grandma’s diamond, and think of her.
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2 Question
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“What’s the Process?” What’s the Jewelry Story from your Heart? What do you really want?
You are not alone, 70% or more of my clients bring me an older piece of jewelry, loose gem stones or gold to redesign into a fabulous new piece of jewelry.
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Copyright 2013
Annie K Jewelry
All Rights Reserved
Diane’s Jewelry Story from the Heart From the fun trips to the beach as a young girl, to the wisdom imparted during their walks and talks as Diane grew older, Diane and her Gram always shared a special bond. Diane was touched to have these special pieces to remember Gram, and was ready for the journey to make them her own. What Diane Really Wants Diane decided she would like a diamond ring and a sapphire pendant to be created from the white gold solitare engagement ring and a yellow gold diamond and sapphire ring she inherited. She felt she would wear both pieces a lot, and would be reminded her of her Gram and feel very special wearing them. As Diane started thinking about the redesign, she decided to keep some of the design details of Gram’s engagement ring, updating it with her own style and a more modern flair, into a ring she could wear almost everyday. For the sapphire pendant, she wanted something in the design reminding her of the ocean, in a more contemporary design. The sapphire being blue and, and it being both Diane’s and her Gram’s birthstone tied it all together perfectly. Diane’s Jewelry ReDesign Process... She knew “She’d know it when she saw it”; and was having a little difficulty getting to “That’s It!!!” She had looked at enough jewelry- both in stores and on the internet- to know she wanted something totally original and her own. This is where the right custom jeweler can help with the process and give you guidance. Diane found pictures of jewelry that resonated with her, pointing out to me the different things she both liked and didn’t like about the jewelry. We talked about her style- modern vs classic, bold vs more understated, geometric vs curvy and organic, etc. As we narrowed things down, combining her preferences, that was when Diane finally got to, “That’s it!!”
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3
Question
“What’s the best way to choose a custom jeweler to redesign your jewelry?” The right custom jeweler for you is someone you trust, you’ll enjoy working with,
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and who will listen to your ideas and create a fabulous piece of jewelry for you!
If you are rea
This was Diane’s first custom piece of jewelry, and she wanted to be sure to choose the right designer for her. Now, Diane is pretty business savvy, and unbeknownst to me, she had put together a Custom Jeweler Checklist. After we started working together she showed me her checklist, and I couldn’t agree with it more. She gave me permission to share it with you, and I added a few comments of my own as well.
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Annie K Jewelry
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Diane’s Custom Jeweler Checklist
1-How long has the jeweler been in business- make sure they’ve been around a while and are knowledgeable.
2-What are their professional affiliations and credentials, awards, etc.? 3-Do you like their design style, is it versatile? Look at their portfolio of jewelry designs. 4- Do they have experience working with existing jewelry as well as creating new jewelry, do they talk about jewelry redesign on their website?
5- Will they look after YOUR interests and really listen to you as opposed to trying to sell you something? 6- What is their reputation? 7- How do they make you feel, would you enjoy working with them? *Note: You’ll find many of AnnieK’s answers to these question on our website. If you have more questions, please just give us a call.
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4
Question
“Is it possible to work long distance over the internet?” In a word, YES. Although Diane and I live nearby, with her schedule it was difficult to meet in person, and for her convenience we ended up working together by phone and email. Although when possible, it’s great to work together in person, I’ve successfully worked with clients this way for over 12 years. Many people who are busy actually prefer it, as it’s a more focused manner of working, and all the details can be kept together in one easy folder.
What works best? Whatever feels most comfortable for you.
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Copyright 2013
Annie K Jewelry
All Rights Reserved
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5
Question
“How much will it cost? And how do I know I’ll like it?” Same as most people, Diane wondered how much her Jewelry ReDesign would cost, and wanted to be sure she would like it. A good custom jeweler is your trusted guide and will: 1- Find options for different budgets. 2- Make sure you get exactly what you are expecting To answer Diane’s question about cost, I told her that custom design work usually started at a base of about $700 plus materials and stone setting. There were options, and she would control both the design and the final cost.
I gave her some ideas of cost range based on her projects. She felt comfortable with that, and after we talked a bit more and narrowed down the design, she asked me to put together a proposal so we could get started. The proposal included everything Diane chose (purity of metal, design details and details of setting, etc.), delivery date, and price. If I had supplied any larger stones they would have a quality grading report or be appraised before being set.
Her other question was “How do I know I will like it?” I told Diane that she would get to review photorealistic renderings of her ring before it was ever started.
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Copyright 2013
Annie K Jewelry
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The design could be tweaked if need be, per her approval. If she wanted, she could even see a 3D model of her ring and try it on before I made it.
Diane felt in sync with the process, with nothing left to chance. We were on the same wavelength and she could relax and trust me to do a great job for her.
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Bonus Question
The Next Step...
“How do I get started on a Jewelry ReDesign project?
The great thing about custom jewelry is that there are very few limitations. You’ve probably been looking at a lot of jewelry. That’s great. I’ll be asking you to share with me a few of the designs that you really love, as well as some that make you cringe. As I become more attuned to your desires, you’ll be amazed how quickly it unfolds to a final design.
What’s your jewelry project? I look forward to hearing all about it. Email the details, and let’s talk. I would love to work with you. My email is
[email protected], and my phone number is 502-899-9760. Oh, and if you have any jewelry questions, send me those to me as well. I’ll answer as many as possible, posting them on my blog.
www.AnnieKJewelry.com
Copyright 2013
Annie K Jewelry
All Rights Reserved
