New Life + Recycled Collection
One of our favorite ways to exercise our craft here at Alx&Co. is by creating works of art for clients using heirloom gold or gemstones. The process is rewarding because we get to give new life to meaningful pieces, plus we can completely avoid the ecological costs of sourcing gold for the project.
A Celebration of Rich Color: An Heirloom Redesign Story
One of our most requested services at our studio is heirloom redesign - and it’s also one of our favorite services we do, because we’re always challenged and surprised by the creative ways our clients utilize family gems. Often, these designs involve the use of strong colors. Clients are sometimes flummoxed by the color in the original pieces, feeling unsure of how to utilize such strong elements in an investment piece. Rather than viewing color as a challenge, though, we try to find the opportunities presented by using color in design in an interesting way…
A Meaningful Engagement Ring + ReDesign
Certain projects simply hit home, and this particular one was a great example of what makes our job so special…
Custom Design 101: What We Cover in Your First Design Appointment
So, you booked your first design appointment with Alexandria & Company - congratulations! You just made a huge step in moving your design idea forward. We know it can take a lot of research, referrals, and thinking to get here so first, allow us to say thank you for considering us for your project. We are very different from the traditional fine jewelry story experience, so you may be wondering what to expect from the process at this point. While every job is different, here are some basic elements we will hope to cover during your first consultation…
Using Heirloom Gold in New Pieces
One very popular service we provide is repurposing “old gold” - i.e., heirloom gold belonging to a client - into a new piece. This is a great option for clients to utilize a setting that might not be suited to them in its original design, but that is sentimental. By melting and reshaping the gold we can continue the life of that material while breathing new life into it with a different design. ..
Heirloom Redesign Idea: Cluster Rings
One of our specialties here at Alx&Co. is working with clients to redesign sentimental or antique pieces in order to breath new life into them. Sometimes, clients come with one piece that they want transformed into something new. Other times, they might have a collection of different pieces that we can pull from. In either case, we sometimes are left with a small pile of mismatched diamonds or gemstones and need to figure out a way to set them seamlessly together.
A Minimalist Heirloom Redesign
Our featured client had an antique family ring that held some sentimental value but that unfortunately was in pretty dismal shape after multiple poorly executed repairs done elsewhere. The ring - set with a nicely-sized natural diamond in the center and flanked by a pair of synthetic blue sapphires - was stylistically not her cup of tea. Combined with the poor state of the ring in general, these factors led our client to pursue other options for resetting the stones.
A Gorgeous Idea for Loose Diamonds
One of the most common requests we get for redesign work is to reset a family diamond in a more wearable setting. Many of our clients have either inherited jewelry from family members that isn’t their style, or they come to us because they are interested in resetting a diamond setting from a previous marriage into a different - less engagement feeling - design…