Some families have engagement rings that have been passed down for many generations. As touching and endearing as this family heirloom might be to your family, it may be time to update it before you propose to your sweetheart. There are three ways you can transform an old ring into a new one without losing much of its original heirloom qualities:
Change the Ring's Setting
You can remove the diamonds and/or other stones from the ring and place them into a modern setting. In this way, you are transferring the symbolic eternity of diamonds into a new ring for a new generation and a new couple. If you still want to keep the old band after removing the stones, let your jeweler know so that he or she does not recycle the old band.
Add to the Ring
If the family heirloom is not big and gaudy, you can add to it to create a more personalized engagement ring for your bride. You can choose to add engagement band wrap-arounds or you can add additional gems or precious metal work. You and your bride-to-be can work with a jeweler to design and decide what additions you would like to add to the ring and approve each step of the work before the jeweler begins.
Detract from the Ring
Not to be confused with replacing the ring's setting, detractions from your family heirloom include removing stones, removing metal work, resizing the ring to fit a smaller finger and shaving and smoothing the band to create a different look. Your jeweler can show you how taking something away from the family ring can make it look like an entirely different ring than the one you brought into the shop.
Before You Change the Family Ring
Be sure to have your family ring appraised for its value before you make the decision to alter its appearance. Too many times a ring's monetary value diminishes when it is altered because consumers did not realize they had something very unique or extremely valuable, such as a ring designed by Tiffany.
If changing the ring drops the value of it significantly, from thousands or tens of thousands of dollars to less than a couple thousand with the updates, you may decide that it is better to propose with the family ring untouched and then shop for something your bride may prefer to wear. There are many families that often propose with the family ring only to buy a separate ring to wear later.
Contact a company such as P.K. Bennett Jewelers with any questions or concerns you have.
