things we can do to make your favorite jewelry wearable again. We can replace a tiny clasp with a larger one, or one that works easier. Many of our customers are enjoying their bracelets again with a magnetic clasp. Necklaces can also benefit from a change of clasp, or you might want to lengthen your necklace so you can put it on over your head without having to use the clasp. Rings can be frustrating when your knuckles are enlarged. The ring is difficult to get on and off, yet spins loosely once it’s on. Pierre is an expert in helping our customers who can no longer wear their precious rings. From simple solutions like a ring guard or sizing beads, to more complex alterations, like shanks that open and close, there is an answer for every ring and every finger. Earrings can sometimes be restyled, depending on the type of earring. Bring them in and we can sit with you and see what can be done to help you wear them again. In the very bottom of the jewelry box–broken chains, earrings without a mate, worn-out bracelets, and other little bits of gold or silver: These can be sold to your jeweler for refining and the money used for a restyling project. Now that we’ve found what’s in your jewelry box, let’s talk about what you can do with it! The very first thing is the easiest. If there’s something that you forgot you had, but you think it’s pretty, maybe all it needs is a good cleaning. You can clean most jewelry at home, but why not bring it to us for a professional cleaning and a checkup to
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207 Swansea Mall Drive Swansea Crossing Plaza Swansea, Massachusetts 02777 Phone: 508-673-0561 Toll Free: 877-754-0800 Fax: 508-673-0119 info@plantejewelers.com
www.plantejewelers.com
make sure everything is tight. The second thing is to think of how to wear your rediscovered jewelry. You can slip a pendant onto a different chain, a neckwire or a black cord. A large pendant looks completely different on a short cord or wire, close to your face, or on a long chain to hang lower over a sweater. Many gemstone pendants set with diamonds all around take on a whole new life when you use a white gold chain instead of the original yellow one. The white gold works with the white diamonds to change
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the look. If you have a charm bracelet that is too bulky to wear, have some of your favorite ones removed so you can put them on a necklace chain. Your charms are also a fun gift for a young girl who has her own charm bracelet. One of our customers was a gymnast in high school, so she gave her own “vintage”gymnast charm to her niece, who is now taking gymnastics. Large clip-on earrings can have a new life as decorative shoe clips, or you can use one on a pretty evening clutch to dress it up. Now let’s see what can be done to restyle some of your treasures. Diamonds or gemstones can be removed from a piece of jewelry, and used in a completely new piece: A woman had a diamond brooch that had belonged to her grandmother. She didn’t want to wear it, so we took out the
diamonds and made three pairs of studs for her three granddaughters. When each one turns 13, she will receive a pair of diamond earrings that are from her great-great grandmother. Earring gemstones can be set on each side of a new center-diamond ring. Gather your diamond earrings, pendants, whatever you have, and we can make a ring that uses all of the diamonds in a design of your choice. The new piece might use a mounting from a manufacturer, or it can be a custom creation designed and fabricated just for you. We can re-set diamond stud earrings to dangle-style for a completely new look. A ring or necklace can be restyled, keeping elements of the original piece to create the new one: We saw an interesting example of this when a customer brought her husband’s diamond ring to us. Recently widowed, she wanted a pendant made from his ring, so she could wear it every day. We removed the top of the ring, which was a square shape with five diamonds set in white gold, and oriented it to hang as a diamond shape. Our customer purchased a diamond chain, which made a beautiful complement to the pendant. The wide, yellow gold shank of the original ring now had an empty space at the top. We re-set it with a square black onyx gemstone with a diamond in the center. This created a handsome man’s ring, which our customer gave to her great-nephew. What a wonderful project that was, creating two treasured pieces of jewelry that will always bring memories of a man who was loved. Wedding rings make meaningful pendants when we shape them into hearts. Your engagement diamond can be added, if you like. Pearl strands can be restrung into different pieces. Pearls are wonderfully versatile! They can always be restrung—two strands made into one, or a long strand made into two strands for two daughters. A great set can be made from a long strand: have the pearls restrung as a bracelet and necklace, with matching clasps so you can wear the two clasped together when you want a longer look. Take a look inside your jewelry box, and see what you can find that gets your imagination working! For a no-obligation consultation, contact Nancy Plante of Plante Jewelers in Swansea at 508-673-0561 or www.plantejewelers.com.
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