20 People Who Took Old Jewelry and Turned It Into Something Amazing

Although vintage jewelry sometimes needs repair and restoration, it can be beautiful in its own right. But tastes differ, as they say... That’s why some daredevils decided to take the desperate step of breathing new life into their grandmother’s old ring or mom’s pendant. Someone added a small detail and got perfection. Others went for radical measures and completely changed the old design.

“My grandmother’s ring reset.”

• The reset itself is well done. Your grandma had beautiful, unique taste. There’s nothing left from it, though. © ariesinflavortown / Reddit
• It was definitely unique, but it wasn’t my particular taste, so I wouldn’t have found it very wearable. They’ve turned it into something lovely, classic, and infinitely wearable — love it. © ZipCity262 / Reddit
• At least it’s going to be used and loved rather than sitting around collecting dust. © Appropriate-Group738 / Reddit

“I made a clock out of an antique locket. It took some work, but I love it.”

“This pendant was made for me by my grandmother. She used her wedding ring for it.”

“My grandmother left me her diamond watch. I decided to turn it into a bracelet. And from another bracelet I made a lobster clasp.”

• Wow! I wouldn’t have thought to redo them like that. Simply marvelous! © borislovespickles / Reddit

“My great-grandmother’s ring fit me perfectly. I just replaced the opal with my birthstone, garnet.”

“In the 70s, my grandmother had her engagement ring redesigned after her divorce: she added 2 rubies and decorations. I own it now, and I’ve updated it.”

• My grandmother is now on hospice. Rubies are my mum’s and aunt’s birthstones. It’s also my sister’s birthstone, so I added a third ruby. The 5 of us, along with my grandmother, have always been together. Now the ring looks complete. © uptoyounancydrew / Reddit
• I can’t hold back the tears, it’s so beautiful. © jaxgizzyk / Reddit
• My first reaction when seeing her original ring was, “Don’t change it...” However, the changes you made are perfection. © Kristin2349 / Reddit

“I have an antique ring. I hesitated for a long time whether it should be redesigned. I finally decided to do it. I gave it to my husband. I said, ’Make me a present.’ This is the result.”

“My engagement ring sat in a drawer for 13 years. I redesigned it, and now even my daughter calls it chic.”

• Wow! I’ve never seen a ring like that in my life! Very bold. © NotACloudInTheSkye / Reddit

“Upgraded my engagement ring after 10 years of marriage.”

“I got this ring from my late great-grandmother. I made pendants for myself, my sister and my mom. I’m definitely not taking mine off.”

“Vintage watch faces repurposed into necklaces! All of these watches were going to be thrown away, I’m so happy to have been able to give new life to them.”

“My husband wanted to have my wedding ring redone for a long time. So yesterday, on our 25th wedding anniversary, we finally picked up the ring from the jeweler.”

“I recently got divorced and to celebrate it, I redesigned my wedding ring. It’s now a symbol of my resilience.”

• I am a jeweler, and this is a gorgeous way to remake your ring! © ClothesOk7740 / Reddit

“For my 40th wedding anniversary, I decided to update my engagement ring and added an old diamond that I got from my parents.”

“For our 20th wedding anniversary, my husband redesigned the ring, saying, ’For putting up with my antics all this time.’ I’m over the moon.”

“I’ve been wanting to change up my bridal set for awhile now, and after a few months of working with a designer my new rings are done!”

“I bought a ring at a thrift shop. What was my surprise when it turned out to be 18 carat gold with diamonds. I paid to get it resized and repaired at a local independent jeweler.”

“This ring is a family heirloom. My grandmother wore it all her life. I had it redone and resized. On our 17th wedding anniversary, the husband surprised me with an upgrade.”

“We got married 15 years ago. We were students and didn’t want to go into debt, so we bought an inexpensive ring. And now we’ve upgraded it.”

“My husband said that after 15 years of marriage it was time for us to update my wedding ring. Don’t mind my old hands.”

And these jewelry pieces even have amazing backstories. Check them out.