08 Aug Heirloom Jewelry: To Care For Or Customize?

The importance of an heirloom cannot be understated. Kept within a family to pass down generationally, heirloom jewelry, in particular, can pose emotional challenges when it comes time to decide what to do with it next.

After all, amidst changing markets and fashion trends there may be a battle waging between one’s temptation to update the heirloom versus their desires that beg them to preserve the piece.

Thus, we present you with three optional ideas for your heirloom:

Option #1 — Reimagining & Redesign

When one thinks of heirloom jewelry, monetary value is likely one of the first things to come to mind. After all, in many cases, heirlooms were passed down from family lines precisely for that reason: because they desired to keep an item of considerable financial value within family hands.

However, it might not always stay that way.

“Just because a piece is old doesn’t necessarily mean it’s precious in a financial sense,” according to Investopedia. “It might be a coveted collector’s item today, or it may have fallen out of style, diminishing its worth.”

Thus, one may have an interest in reinvigorating the value of their heirloom by updating it to current market standards. In such a case, customizing an existing heirloom may be of particular interest, as they could simultaneously increase its worth and tailor it to their individual tastes without having to sacrifice a sentimental product.

Option #2 — Remodel & Recreate

Maybe the owner of the heirloom jewelry remains committed to preserving the original design of the jewelry, or perhaps they simply remain hesitant to have it altered for the sake of its fragile age.

In any case, heirlooms are known for their ability to not only carry value, but emotional weight, leaving many to go untouched.

“Heirloom jewelry pieces perform important functions in family networks,” research published by Concordia University explains. “Jewelry’s durability allows the potential to frequently outlive its original owner, gain sentimental value over successive generations, and influence relationships.”

For this reason, customizing a brand new piece of jewelry that is based on the original heirloom but incorporates new details would be a creative way of breathing new life into an individual collection.

In effect, one could rest assured the original heirloom remains safe and untouched to pass on while still admiring the small, sentimental details of a newly customized recreation.

Option #3 — Honoring Your Heirlooms

If neither of the aforementioned options sound particularly palatable to you, fear not. Hemming Jewelers still has other options to help you remain informed and up to date when it comes to honoring your heirloom.

For example, if your precious jewelry has fallen victim to wear, tear, or dents over its long lifespan, you can always bring it to our professional hands for expert repairs.

Otherwise, perhaps you’d like to know how much your heirloom is worth before passing it down to the next family member. In this case, we welcome you to stop in for our professional appraisal services, the likes of which are typically completed within an hour.

At the end of the day, Hemming Jewelers — Jacksonville’s #1 independent jeweler — is ready and waiting to help you curate and care for your custom jewelry collection! To learn more about our services and available products, contact our team today by calling 904-354-5959!