something old, now something new

The Naval Academy Ring

​It wasn't an easy choice.  This ring had been in the family for quite some time.  Passed down and then passed down again, our client wanted to keep as much of the original ring intact as possible.  We discussed all of the possibilities, eliminating the fantastical ones, which helped us both feel like we were making progress as we tiptoed around the fact that neither of us felt ready to make the final decision.  

Debating how much was too much change, we decided to let the aged lettering and engraving express the long life this ring had endured.  We repaired some structural damage underneath from decades of wear and then we focused on rebuilding the center of the ring.  Our goal was to regain some of the original dimension and to allow the original diamond & new sapphires to be set more securely.  

Miriam used CAD to plan out the new layout and then our goldsmith cast the center portion , hand set all of the sapphires and diamonds, and then blended the new piece into the original ring.    In the end we all agreed it was the perfect way to brighten up a ring that other jewelers had told our client wouldn't be worth fixing.  She said, "It's perfect I'm so excited to begin wearing it again!"  In fact, it's going to live on her finger a little bit longer before it gets handed down to her daughter!