There’s something so special about owning a piece of jewelry that belonged to a parent or grandparent. Whether you want to wear it yourself or propose to a significant other with the family ring, its value stems from something beyond its material worth. Still, you may want to update it to fit modern sensibilities and that’s understandable. The guide below looks at how you can go about it.

Why Update Family Jewelry?

Perhaps you love what the ring represents, but it doesn’t really fit your personal style. By modernizing it, you respect its origin while making it your own. If you plan to propose to someone with it, it might help them feel more connected to your family, while the updates can symbolize the new family you are creating together. If the ring has a less-romantic history—for example, if it was your grandmother’s wedding ring before a divorce—this can also help to give it a new and more hopeful meaning.

Maybe you’re lucky enough to be in possession of engagement rings from both sides of the family. In that case, you may consider taking what you love most from both and fusing them into one. There’s also the possibility of just keeping the stones from the family ring and inserting them into an entirely different band that you like better. As long as you’re working with a talented and attentive jeweler, you can modernize your ring in whatever way dazzles your imagination.

How Can a Family Ring Be Modernized Without Ruining It?

A skilled jeweler can carefully take your family ring or jewelry apart and reassemble it according to your preferences. They can add new features or downplay blemishes in the original. For example, if you have an old diamond ring that has lost its color or has been chipped, a jeweler might be able to reset it in a way that conceals the chip and combine it with rose or yellow gold to make it look brighter by contrast.  

Take your family ring or jewelry to Coins & Carats in Kalispell, MT, for quality modernization that retains the piece’s original charm while personalizing it just for you. Since 1991, they’ve maintained a staff licensed by the Gemological Institute of America to care for rare coins and jewelry, so they will handle your family ring with the respect it deserves. Call (406) 752-2646 or message them online to start working with a jeweler on your ring.