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When you inherit heirloom pieces and what to do with them?

swaye2010

Brilliant_Rock
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Nov 16, 2015
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My mother recently gave me a few pieces of vintage jewelry from her Aunt that she did not wear. They are from Holland and my Great Aunt lost her husband during WWII and never remarried. She was the first of our family to move to the US in the early 50’s and sponsored my parents in the 60’s. When she died she left most of her jewelry to my grandmother and then my mother inherited quite a few pieces. She is still keeping the best stuff for herself! I am trying to repurpose some of the pieces without changing them too much.

The first is a cluster halo that I wasn’t quite sure what to do with. It looked like it had been a ring at some point because of the solder marks on the backside. I already own quite a large halo ring and the diamonds didn’t feel like high enough quality to make another. If they were OMC’s or something from that time, I would have considered it. It seems like there are a lot of splintery round brilliant’s from Europe during this time period. I decided to add some rabbit ear’s to the cluster halo and lower the center stone. It was slightly raised like a lot of the mid-century cluster rings of the time. It was polished and replated to look new by Debebian’s in LA. I also had a 14K white gold chain made to go with it. I like that it has the extra loop so I can wear it at 18 or 20 inches and I also had a 2 inch extender made so I can make it 22 inches If wearing it with other pendants. The stones look warmer than they are in real life because of the tree’s and my yellow cell phone. I would still think they are probably a I or J though.

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The second piece is an etched gold bangle. I think it is either 9K or 10K gold. It has 2 symbols on the inside which I assume stands for the gold weight and maker marks/year but they are kind of hard to read. The bangle is very pretty but it gets in the way of my watch on my left hand and when I write on my right hand so probably just an occasion piece. If anyone can understand the marks in the pic, I would be interested.

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Last piece is a pendant necklace. It is a 18K gold coin from 1917. My mother has one already from her mother and this one was my Aunt’s. She told me that women wore them as a fashion piece. I can’t find a ton of information out about why they were fashionable but more about the coin itself. It is of Queen Whilhelmina and it stood for ‘National unity and resistance to both World wars’. She reined during both wars and the Great Depression. I like the idea of that but I can’t figure out how to wear it. I have an 18 inch chain and it looks ok on but I feel self conscious. I am not a big lover of necklaces tight around my neck though so I was thinking to have a 36 inch chain made. The coin itself is about the size of a quarter and weighs 10 grams. I am trying to make it look like a fashion piece without looking like a rapper. Any thoughts on this would be appreciated! I am not quite sure how it translates for modern times...
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YadaYadaYada

Super_Ideal_Rock
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Wow cool pieces, I love that cluster pendant, what a great idea to convert it.
 

meely

Brilliant_Rock
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How lovely to inherit some pieces from your Aunt! I think your necklace alterations have worked really well, the stones dont look very tinted to my eyes, it’s really pretty. It looks like a versatile piece.
I would layer the bracelet, I have several the same size, I do wear them together and also with my tennis bracelet and sometimes with a spinel line bracelet I have as well. Not sure on the marks I’m afraid.
The meaning behind the coin is very interesting, I might be tempted to wear it at about 20inches layered with some shorter necklaces. Alternatively I would put it on a long chain and wear at naval length, would look great like than in the winter with knitted dresses, funnel necks etc.
 

gregchang35

Ideal_Rock
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Sep 11, 2012
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Nice conversions!!
 

swaye2010

Brilliant_Rock
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Nov 16, 2015
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How lovely to inherit some pieces from your Aunt! I think your necklace alterations have worked really well, the stones dont look very tinted to my eyes, it’s really pretty. It looks like a versatile piece.
I would layer the bracelet, I have several the same size, I do wear them together and also with my tennis bracelet and sometimes with a spinel line bracelet I have as well. Not sure on the marks I’m afraid.
The meaning behind the coin is very interesting, I might be tempted to wear it at about 20inches layered with some shorter necklaces. Alternatively I would put it on a long chain and wear at naval length, would look great like than in the winter with knitted dresses, funnel necks etc.
Thank you! I think I like the idea of having a very long necklace. I had neck surgery so I don’t like anything tight around my neck and I am tall so long pieces work for me. I think you are right that the only way to do it is to get a very long chain and wear it low. It is an interesting piece, and probably a conversation starter, but I am trying to find a way to make it not look strange. I need a heavy enough chain for the weight but still dainty enough to look feminine, I guess. I like to wear things I have with special meaning or else re-purpose them in a way I can. I have a few other antique bracelets but they are all so different that they don’t seem to go together.
 

Ally T

Ideal_Rock
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Gorgeous pieces - enjoy wearing them!
 

meely

Brilliant_Rock
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An antique belcher would look good perhaps. With bracelets similar widths normally look good together.
 

VRBeauty

Super_Ideal_Rock
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What a nice collection! Of course might be a little biased, since I’m originally from Holland.

I think the oak leaf-looking stamp on the bangle means that it’s 14k.

I love the guilder! It seems like a nice, wearable size. Definitely get a longer chain, and consider wearing it with your winter wardrobe!
 

swaye2010

Brilliant_Rock
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Nov 16, 2015
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An antique belcher would look good perhaps. With bracelets similar widths normally look good together.
I had to go and look up Belcher chain. I hadn’t heard that term before. I found some very pretty and really long Victorian looking ones on etsy that I think might work. I like the idea of it going all the way down to the navel. I think that is the best way to pull it off.
What a nice collection! Of course might be a little biased, since I’m originally from Holland.

I think the oak leaf-looking stamp on the bangle means that it’s 14k.

I love the guilder! It seems like a nice, wearable size. Definitely get a longer chain, and consider wearing it with your winter wardrobe!
I was hoping someone Dutch would chime in! I know in Europe they used to use symbols so it is nice to know it is 14K. It weighs about 17 grams and looked a little darker so I thought it might be 9 or 10 ct gold. This helps date the piece a bit. Thank you for that!
 

Daisys and Diamonds

Super_Ideal_Rock
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ladies were wearing gold coin jewlery longer than we have had that hidouse music genre !

i think its lovelly you have been given these pieces, so nice to remember the great aunty this way
i love how you have made them to suit you so you will wear them
enjoy

(maybe if your mum sees you wearing them lots she will give you some more)
 

swaye2010

Brilliant_Rock
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Nov 16, 2015
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1,194
ladies were wearing gold coin jewlery longer than we have had that hidouse music genre !

i think its lovelly you have been given these pieces, so nice to remember the great aunty this way
i love how you have made them to suit you so you will wear them
enjoy

(maybe if your mum sees you wearing them lots she will give you some more)
My mother is a hoarder of jewelry as she inherited a lot since my grandmother was the last living sister and not all of them had kids. My sister has no interest in jewelry so I know that most of it will be mine one day! Not that I wish anything on my mother, but you know what I mean!

The long chain with the coin on the end sounds like the best idea to me. I found some beautiful Victorian gold ones on etsy. Strangely, my kids just happened to be watching ‘The Heat’ last night and when I walked by, I happened to notice that Melissa McCarthy was wearing a long gold chain with a gold coin at the bottom. Is if funny how you notice things that normally you wouldn’t think twice about.
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Stone Hunter

Ideal_Rock
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May 12, 2006
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6,487
Great family pieces! I have a similar bracelet that I stack with my watch. I am trying this pair with other bracelets to make a stack of three. I like odd numbers.

I have a coin necklace too. I’ve layered it with a shorter necklace. Notice in that photo of Melissa McCarthy that the top necklace is oblong. I think that’s a good look and I don’t feel that I need to add a third necklace.
 
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