Old Gold, Made New

Alyssa came to us with a collection of jewelry that had lived many lives.

Some pieces were inherited. Some had been gifted over the years. Together, they formed a kind of visual record of her jewelry journey: a vintage Art Deco diamond slider from her mom, a classic Y2K nameplate ring, heart motifs, and pieces that carried traces of Victorian and Retro eras.

Rather than remake one piece exactly as it was, we decided to melt the gold down, reclaim the natural diamonds we could, and build something entirely new from what was already hers.

The final direction began with Alyssa’s Pisces sign. We built out a loose constellation across the ring, using diamonds of different sizes in a way that felt scattered, asymmetrical, and intentional. Most of the stones were flush set into the gold, while the four largest round diamonds were placed in thin etched star settings, radiating softly from each center.We moved through three sketch iterations, playing with placement, proportion, and the rhythm of the stones until the composition felt balanced without becoming too perfect.

The finished ring was made in solid gold with a satin finish: softly brushed, low-sheen, sculptural, and substantial in weight.

Old gold, natural diamonds, and years of memory, remade into one piece.

The jewelry Alyssa sent to be melted: a mix of gold in different karat weights, inherited pieces, gifted pieces, and stones waiting to be reclaimed.

Initial sketches of the curved ring foundation, paired with a diamond map inspired by the path of Alyssa's Pisces constellation.

The first two sketch directions before the final version took shape: exploring star settings, diamond placement, adn the rhythm of the constellation across the ring. 

The finished piece on Alyssa's hand: old gold, reclaimed diamonds, and a constellation made wearable.