What to do with inherited jewellery you don't wear

There's almost always a box. In a drawer, at the back of a wardrobe, sometimes still at the bank. Inside: a ring that doesn't fit, a brooch from another era, a broken chain, odd earrings.

And there's almost always the same sentence, said with a little embarrassment: I never wear them, but I can't part with them.

Let's start there.

You're allowed not to wear them

An inherited piece is not an obligation. It was chosen by someone else, for another hand, in another time, often for a daily life that isn't yours.

That it doesn't suit you says nothing about your attachment to the person. A brooch from the sixties isn't worn with jeans on a Tuesday, and that is neither your fault nor the brooch's.

Guilt is a poor starting point for a decision. It leads either to doing nothing for twenty years, or to hastily remodelling something that should have been kept.

Five possible answers

There isn't a right one. There's one that suits this particular piece.

Keep it as it is. Some pieces shouldn't be touched: a well-made antique setting, a signature, work that isn't done any more, or simply an object whose value lies in having stayed intact. If that's the case, I'll tell you.

Restore it. A resize, a claw rebuilt, a clasp replaced, a polish. A great many "unwearable" pieces are in fact pieces that were never adjusted. It's often the cheapest answer, and nobody thinks to ask for it.

Remodel it. Take the stones, the metal, or only the idea, and make something that fits your life. It's what I do most often, and the whole sequence is described here: how does remodelling an old piece work?

Trade it in. If the piece doesn't move you and isn't worth the work it would take, its value can be credited against a new project rather than sitting in a drawer.

Decide nothing yet. A box at the back of a wardrobe costs nothing. If the loss is recent, waiting is an entirely reasonable decision.

How to choose between them

Three questions, in this order.

Would I wear it if it fitted? If yes, the answer is restoration, and you've just saved a great deal of money. Try it before concluding — a piece in the right size wears quite differently.

Is it the piece that matters, or the person? If it's the piece, keep it. If it's the person, the material can become something else and go on being worn. It's an uncomfortable distinction, and it settles almost everything.

Would someone else wear it? A daughter, a sister, a niece. A piece passed to someone who will wear it is better than a piece remodelled out of guilt.

Several heirs, one piece

It's common, and rarely simple.

A piece with several stones can often make several smaller ones — a ring each, or a ring and a pair of earrings. That assumes the setting allows it and the stones are sound; it's the kind of thing I check before proposing anything.

Where it isn't possible, it's better to know early than to find out after a complicated family conversation.

What it costs

A restoration is priced per piece and stays modest.

A remodelling is priced as a bespoke project: most fall between CHF 1,200 and CHF 4,000. The stone sets the scale — there is no upper limit. Your gold and your stones only ever move the figure downwards, either reused or valued and credited. That's why remodelling often costs less than the same design made entirely from new materials.

Consultations are complimentary and commit you to nothing. You'll have a clear quote before anything begins.

What I look at before answering

Before any quote I examine the stones — which ones, in what condition, how they're set — and the metal: its carat, its alloy, its wear and its past repairs. That last point decides more than people realise, and it has its own article: can the gold from an old piece be reused?

That assessment happens before the quote, never after.

Common questions

Do I have to decide straight away?

No. Come with the box, leave with an opinion. Many clients come back months later.

What if the piece has no market value?

It changes nothing about what can be done with it. Most pieces that matter have little market value.

Can I bring several pieces at once?

Yes, and it's often more useful: it's easier to see what might work together.

Does everything have to be remodelled?

No. It's common to remodel one piece and keep two others intact.

What if I only want to know what I have?

Come in. I'll identify the stones and the metal and tell you what they are — with nothing committed either way.

Bringing the box

Rue Ancienne 3, Carouge. Bring everything, including what's broken, including the things you're certain you'll never do anything with. It's often the piece nobody meant to show that makes the best project.

The full picture is on the remodelling page.