What to Do With Your Parents' Wedding Rings: The Honest Options (2026)
Your parents' wedding rings don't have to be worn, sold, or redesigned on any schedule. Here are the real options, what I check first on a wedding set, and when...
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Why I Keep My Studio Appointment-Only
An appointment-only custom jeweler in Santa Monica explains why the door isn't open to walk-ins — and why that ends up being the best thing for clients.
Under the Loupe
Can You Turn Loose Diamonds Into a Ring? What It Costs and What I Check First (2026)
Yes. Loose diamonds can become a ring you wear, and because the stones are yours you pay for design and setting only. Here are my real ranges, what I check...
Can You Make a Toi et Moi Ring From Two Family Stones? What Works, What Doesn't (2026)
Yes, a toi et moi ring can be made from two family stones, as long as they match in height and toughness. Here are the four checks I make before...
Can You Turn Your Grandmother's Brooch Into a Pendant? What to Wear, Convert, or Leave Alone (2026)
Yes, most brooches can become pendants, but not all should. Here are your three real options for a grandmother's brooch, the three questions I ask before touching one, and when...
Can You Redesign Your Wedding Rings for an Anniversary? What to Keep, What to Change (2026)
Yes, almost any wedding set can be redesigned for an anniversary. Here are the four paths, the questions I ask first, the honest case for leaving some rings alone, and...
Heirloom Engagement Ring or a New One? How to Choose (2026)
Should the center stone come from your family or be brand new? The five questions I ask couples before we decide, the stones I talk people out of using, and...
Can You Combine Multiple Family Pieces Into One Ring? What Works, What Doesn't (2026)
Yes, in most cases. Here is how I decide which stones and gold from several family pieces can become one ring, which can't, and the three situations where I'll tell...
Reset, Remount, or Start Over? A Decision Guide for Inherited Rings (2026)
Three paths exist for an inherited ring: reset the stone, remount it into an existing design, or start over from scratch. Here are the four questions I ask in the...
Can You Still Get a Custom Piece or Heirloom Redesign Done by the Holidays? (2026 Lead Times)
Yes — but the window is closing. Here are the real production timelines for custom pieces and heirloom redesigns before the holidays, and what to do if you've left it...
What to Do With Your Mother's Jewelry After She Passes: What I Check First (2026)
A jeweler's honest guide to sorting a mother's jewelry box after a loss: what's solid gold and what's plated, which stones can be reset and which can't, what to leave...
Who Should Redesign Your Inherited Jewelry? Chain Store vs. Designer vs. Independent Studio (2026)
Four kinds of jeweler will redesign an inherited piece, and they are not interchangeable. Here is what each one actually does, what it costs, when each is the right call,...
How Do I Ask My Grandmother If I Can Redesign Her Ring? (2026)
You want to wear it. She wants you to wear it. But asking feels like asking permission to change something she loves. Here is the sentence that works, and the...