Some of our most favorite creations at Mark Loren Designs are the pieces that clients bring us that are infused with sentimental value. These pieces may not even be classified as jewelry but, when we finish with them, they are true works of art. Often we take a client’s wedding band from a deceased spouse or wedding bands from someone’s parents or grandparents and without significantly changing the shape of the ring, we are able to turn the bands into an awesome, pendant or brooch. We derive tremendous satisfaction when we are able to take something that has been sitting in someone’s drawer or jewelry box and give it a new chance to be worn everyday. The photo below shows a pair of wedding bands that a client brought to us that belonged to her and her late husband. They were matching bands and she wanted us to create something that would utilize the two rings without changing them significantly. We hand-fabricated the bands into two hearts and you can still see the outside finish that was on their bands when they were married 24 years ago! The rubies that are visible were part of a ring that was his first jewelry gift to her before they were married and a great treasure for her. I learned early in my jewelry making career that what is not valuable to one person is a priceless treasure to another…So we assist clients in showcasing the priceless sentimental value of their pieces by recreating them with a new look and purpose. Another example: my wife Sheri’s late grandmother was a very talented seamstress and she used to make extra money for the family by designing and sewing wedding gowns for young girls in her small town in upstate New York. She even had custom-made labels with her name embroidered on them that she could sew into the dresses that she had created. When Sheri was clearing her grandmother’s things out she found a few of these 40 year old labels in a tiny sewing box. For a present for Sheri and my sister-in-law, I created tiny glass and sterling pendant frames for the labels so they could both wear their grandmother’s signature proudly as jewelry! Do you have any precious memories sitting in the dark in a drawer or box somewhere? Who do you know that would love and appreciate having them as a special gift in a piece of jewelry? It doesn’t have to be diamonds, sapphires or rubies to be precious…