The family's gold becomes an 18th birthday present
A woman contacted me to have a gold ring with a black onyx setting redesigned. She wanted to give the ring to her son, who was turning 18. The initial idea was simply to enlarge the ring, but when he came in to try on different ring sizes, we started discussing other possibilities. He wanted a wider band and a stronger setting, something that would feel more personal and masculine. We decided to create a completely new ring, using the family's gold and the stone as the centerpiece of the new piece of jewelry.
I started by making a wax model, which I sandcast in silver. Once I had the silver ring model, I could file away at the shape and facets until it felt right. The customer saw pictures and approved the shape of the ring. I sent the final design to a foundry, which cast the ring using the family's gold.
I made the setting for the stone by hand, using a piece from one of the old rings. This allowed me to optimize the work, and even more of the family's history could live on in the new ring.
When I got the cast gold ring back, I sanded and polished it, and soldered the bezel in place before finally setting the onyx with a punch and hammer.
The result was a powerful, multifaceted heel ring in solid gold, with a history that will be passed on to the next generation. A unique 18th birthday gift with both weight and feeling.
Have you also inherited gold that is just sitting in a box? I would be happy to help you transform it into something new ✨