Would you chop up an antique piece?

[Indylady]

Would you be ok chopping up an antique piece to salvage or reuse parts of a setting or remove a diamond?

Would you feel guilt in doing so?

 

[marymm]

If the antique piece was mine (meaning purchased/owned by me), and not an heirloom piece passed intact through generations of my or DH's family, then I would be A-ok with doing anything I wanted with it, with no guilt whatsoever.

 

[Circe]

It would depend on the condition and complexity of the piece. A plain tiffany-style setting when I want the diamond for a period-accurate repro by the likes of SingleStone? No guilt. An old platinum watch that doesn't work repurposed for its bracelet, with the case cut up and made into earrings, no guilt.

Recutting an old stone to an MRB, or destroying some gorgeous in-good-condition Victorian or Edwardian piece just because it wasn't quite to my taste ... nope, couldn't do it. I think I'd see it as a desecration of history.

Let me put it this way: I just got a platinum piece weighing 25 grams (not counting diamonds) for $300 less than its melt value, I assume because the dealer felt the same way I do. And now, I treasure it, it'll last another 50 years, and hopefully whoever comes after me will feel similarly, and get a little thrill imagining the belle epoque lady who originally wore it, and the Auntie-Mame-esque characters who had it in between. What modern thing that I couldn't find the stones for elsewhere could compare to that?

Bottom line, I guess, is that I'm always in favor of preservation, one way or another. If it's broken, to give it new life: if not, to preserve it for the next generation.

 

[iluvshinythings]

I took the diamond out of an antique ring and had it re-set in a new setting. I do feel a little guilt about separating the two but I don't know the history of the piece so they may not have always been together anyway.

I think it's better to re-use part of a piece of jewelry than to leave the whole thing to gather dust and not be enjoyed.

 

[chrono]

I usually only remove the stone if it has issues (damaged or replacing it with a coloured stone). I tend to try to keep the piece as is because many designs are no longer made or are expensive to reproduce. I may alter it to fit a slightly larger or smaller stone, or resize it.

 

[dk168]

It the piece is given to me to do as I please, and has no sentimental value to me, and the stones are of decent size and quality, then I may be inclined to re-work it into a new piece of jewellery that I can wear.

DK

 

[perry]

Depends on the condition, quality, and design of the piece. Something unique in good condition and high quality - gets kept and cherrished (and no I could not just cut it up - I'd sell it to someone else who appreciated it if need be).

Something rather plain and just old, or with condition issues, or quality issues. No problems recovering or selling the usable portions.

Perry

 

[HeartingDiamonds]

I'm a purist by heart - I would NEVER want to chop a vintage piece up HOWEVER, in instances where an original piece is in bad shape or unwearable in its present condition - then I "re-purpose" the piece!

 

[Gypsy]

I have done it.

As others have mentioned it depends on the piece.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

I hate the idea of destroying a piece that could still be worn, that is still beautiful (or could be with a little care), regardless of it being an heirloom or something found in an antique or pawn shop.

Right now, I am trying to salvage an antique ring (from a PSer!). I have reshanked it then I realized that it also needs some prong work, which will not be easy. I am just about to give up on it but I hate to take it apart.

 

[chrono]

LadyD,
I've done the same. I've had to rebuild the shank on one antique white gold setting and rebuilt the prongs on another platinum setting. I felt they were worth it though because the design is very pretty. If the settings were plain or solitaire type, I would not be so willing to salvage the settings.

 

[Indylady]

It would depend on the condition and complexity of the piece. A plain tiffany-style setting when I want the diamond for a period-accurate repro by the likes of SingleStone? No guilt. An old platinum watch that doesn't work repurposed for its bracelet, with the case cut up and made into earrings, no guilt.

Recutting an old stone to an MRB, or destroying some gorgeous in-good-condition Victorian or Edwardian piece just because it wasn't quite to my taste ... nope, couldn't do it. I think I'd see it as a desecration of history.

Let me put it this way: I just got a platinum piece weighing 25 grams (not counting diamonds) for $300 less than its melt value, I assume because the dealer felt the same way I do. And now, I treasure it, it'll last another 50 years, and hopefully whoever comes after me will feel similarly, and get a little thrill imagining the belle epoque lady who originally wore it, and the Auntie-Mame-esque characters who had it in between. What modern thing that I couldn't find the stones for elsewhere could compare to that?

Bottom line, I guess, is that I'm always in favor of preservation, one way or another. If it's broken, to give it new life: if not, to preserve it for the next generation.

Blasphemy.

Also--do you have a shot of your platinum piece? I'm off to see if I can track it down!

 

[minousbijoux]

Great question. In theory, I shouldn't have a problem with it, but in reality, I start over-thinking it, and start to think about all the time and effort that was put into making it, and then I feel guilty, like the piece has feelings and will give me bad juju if I hurt it.

But if its really ugly, all bets are off!

 

[Gypsy]

So, I thought I'd give more details.
The ring I chopped up was terribly uncomfortable. It actually ripped up my skin when I wore it. I even tried re-shanking it first. So I reset the diamonds from it into this, which is a wearable piece: [URL='https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-odds-and-ends-necklace-by-bgd.158058/']https://www.pricescope.com/community/threads/my-new-odds-and-ends-necklace-by-bgd.158058/[/URL]

It really depends on the piece. If it's something in good shape that is wearable and well constructed, but not to you personal taste but might to to others' down the line... I wouldn't. But if the piece is unwearable or damaged or poorly constructed from the outset... why not?

There are also some just flat out ugly stuff out there, and the stones can be salvaged (and should be)... and I'm in favor of that too.