I love creating pieces and doing redesigns for clients honoring the memory of their grandparents. There's such a special bond between a grandparent and grandchild, and I think one of the most sentimental and special parts of my job is creating pieces that make these moments and memories live on. This is the perfect example of such a project.
The new chapter
My client came to me wanting to reimagine a sterling silver key pendant with diamonds from her grandparents, who unfortunately were no longer with us, and combine it with a ring from her mom and dad, that included 14 karat white gold with diamonds and a round Alexandrite at the center. She wanted an everyday necklace that could be worn for the newest chapter in her life - post Medical School Graduation 🎉. This piece was going to serve as a reminder of all the people who had and have been there for her during her school journey. Read on to see how this Alexandrite Graduation piece made its touching debut.
The key pendant
With this piece, we put a lot of thought into the design and into how we wanted to incorporate the materials. The most important piece to my client was the key pendant. I decided that at the center of the necklace, we needed to utilize the beautiful Alexandrite and set it in a sterling silver bezel crafted from the key pendant. That was going to give the most visual weight to the most sentimentally important materials that my client brought to the table.
Leading to the chain
We decided to flank the center Alexandrite with three diamonds on each side pulled from both the key pendant and from the original Alexandrite ring, then utilize white gold to set those diamonds, giving the piece really nice variation and subtle color contrast. White gold gives off a slightly more gray tone than silver, so it added a subdued, but interesting touch. We then added three more diamonds to each side - set in tiny bits of remaining sterling silver which led perfectly into the sterling silver chain that went with the original key pendant. What a wonderful way to efficiently and effectively utilize the most material possible to create such a stunning and sentimental piece!
Taking final shape
Now that the game plan was set, it was down to the fabrication. Yes, this piece was fully hand-fabricated in the studio – which is quite the undertaking, I might add. Twelve diamonds and one Alexandrite later, along with each of their hand-fabricated settings, and we were looking good! Of course, each setting has to be opened to the perfect size in order to fit each of the tiny diamonds and the main center gemstone. One by one, this piece began to really take shape. Once the settings were fully prepared, it was time to begin the stone-setting process. As you can see, this petite and sweet beauty really sparkles! Rounds and rounds of intricate polishing brought the tiniest of details to life. Take a look below to see how she finally came out.
And just a little bit of luck
What a stunner! This piece utilized 12 diamonds, 1 Alexandrite, all the sterling silver from the key pendant, a chain from the key pendant, and white gold from the original Alexandrite ring. It's so neat to me, to be able to showcase exactly what metals, gemstones and diamonds can be recreated into with a little planning, a lot of passion, and a little bit of luck! But don't take my word for it, check out below to see what my client had to say about her Alexandrite Graduation piece.
"I have received the necklace and OH MY it is so lovely! It came just in time for me to start my new job as a medical resident. It provides such a lovely reminder of all of the people who supported me to get this far. I am so excited to wear it all the time :) It's perfect! Thank you for all of your work!" - KO
Do you have an idea for a recreation piece honoring the memory of someone special in your life? Reach out and let's take a look at what we can create just for you! I'd love to chat.
