What makes this part of my job exciting is hearing all the stories of people's lives and why they are wanting a one of a kind piece, or how they got the precious stones that they have to recreate something spectacular. I love helping people put those stones together from their family history into something that they will be able to wear and enjoy before they pass that piece of jewelry down to someone they love. From a one of a kind engagement ring to a one of a kind pendant or bracelet, the stories are all so different.
I have just started to take pictures of the end result, so it was difficult to find some of my earlier designs as finished products. I had to dig through our appraisal folder to find pictures. here are some of these amazing stories!
A young lady came into the store and had a gold fingerprint of her father attached to a very old and what she thought was an out dated bracelet. Her father had passed away a couple of years ago and she had his fingerprint made with the dates of his birth and passing on the back. Her mother had also given her a few pendants and rings with diamonds in them. She wanted to recreate a new bracelet that she would be able to wear everyday to remember her father by. I helped her come up with the perfect style that fit her personality. It was a bangle with twisted metal (like the popular David Yurman look) with the row of diamonds crossing over each twisted metal piece. The drawing didn't do this piece justice! (it was one of my first here at Hofmeister) This piece turned out absolutely beautiful thanks to our amazing jewelers. We had also made a mold of her fathers fingerprint so if there was any wear to the fingerprint we would be able to recreate it for her. The best part is when you deliver such an amazing piece. Not only are they getting a new one of a kind creation, there is so much emotion and history in it. It becomes so much more special than just purchasing a new piece from the case. When I showed her her new bangle she burst into tears. Which of course made me burst into tears, and before you know it everyone was touched. It was exactly what she had imagined it would be. These are the moments that I am honored to be apart of, these moments that not only they will never forget but I as well will never forget.
A couple came into the store and described to me that they wanted a ring that would describe their love in a vin diagram. I wasn't quite sure how to interpret what they wanted into a functional and pretty piece of jewelry but she wanted this vin diagram so badly to showcase their 50 years together as a couple. I even tried to come up with a couple of other ideas that would get that same message across. She had it in her mind that it would be her single life, his single life, the blue stones would be their lives together, and the big blue stone would be the 50 years as a married couple. I worked hard on this one. Tried to rack my brain to come up with the most beautiful design I could. Put decorative details on the shank of the ring and on the profile. I even put the two rings at different heights to make it a little bit different. She wanted it plain and simple. Just the two rings coming together. We made one ring of seed pearls that represented him, and one ring of diamonds to represent her. Then we added blue sapphires to represent their lives together and a larger marquise blue sapphire as the 50 years of marriage. I was really excited to show her this beautiful ring because it came out so well! You really see the two rings coming together and it really represents their lives intertwining together. She was sooo ecstatic to get her ring and fell absolutely in love! She couldn't wait to show it off to her family and friends. I loved hearing their story of their 50 years together full of joy and happiness. I was honored to be able to create exactly what she had envisioned in her head of what the symbol of their love would be.
A woman came into the store with a strand of pearls. Her mother had given them to her, and on it already was a pearl enhancer that didn't quite meet her taste in style. She loved the strand of pearls and really wanted to be able to wear it more often. I talked with her for a while to get her style and came up with three different designs that I thought she would like. She loved all three but the one that really caught her attention was the one that was modern but had a flare of antiqueness to it. She was very excited to have a new pearl enhancer added to the beautiful strand her mother gave her. Now she feels she will be able to wear it more often to remember her mother by!
A couple came in looking for engagement rings. She had told me upfront that she did not want the typical engagement ring with a center diamond. I immediately thought of a band style ring. They then pulled out several pieces of jewelry that had family diamonds in them. They told me that it would be so special to both families and them if they could incorporate these diamonds into an engagement style that she loved. The diamonds were from her fathers wedding band, and a ring that his mother had given him and another ring that her father had given her mother. By using these diamonds it was like bringing both families together. She wanted something different, that no other girl would have. She liked swirls and asymmetry. I had done a few drawings for her and this is the one she fell absolutely in love with! She thought it was exactly what she had envisioned and it was using a lot of the diamonds that they had brought. The ring is finished and he has not yet picked it up yet. He wants it to be a surprise of when he gives it to her. I am sooo excited for him to pick it up and see the most beautiful finished ring. He is going to be so excited to give it to her as a symbol of his eternal love.
It brings a smile to my face everyday knowing that I am apart of those special moments. Helping create a piece of jewelry to remember people's history by or just simply getting something so uniquely to them that no one else has.
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