You inherited a brooch. It's lovely, it carries someone's history, and you have never once pinned it to anything. The short answer: you have three real options. You can wear it as it is, convert it into something you'll actually reach for (a pendant is the most common route), or leave it exactly as it is. Which one is right comes down to three questions I ask before I'd touch any brooch.
Brooches are having a moment. Pinterest's 2026 trend predictions named them as a style to watch, reporting that searches for “brooch aesthetic” had risen 110% and searches for “heirloom jewelry” 45% (via National Jeweler). That means a piece that once felt like your grandmother's coat lapel could now sit on a blazer or a denim jacket. A trend is a good reason to take the piece out of the drawer. It is not a reason to alter it.
The three things I check before anyone cuts anything
Most jewelers would rather you came in so they could tell you what they'd do. Here is what I look at, so you can do a first pass at home:
- Is it worth more intact? A signed or period piece can be worth more as a brooch than as the sum of its stones and metal. If there's a maker's mark, or the piece looks old and well made, get it appraised before anyone makes a decision. I wrote about how appraisal, resale and melt value differ, and the same logic applies here.
- Will you really wear it as a brooch? Be honest. If you'd pin it on a jacket, then the answer might be a quick service and nothing more. I'd rather tell you that than sell you a project.
- What do you love about it? The stones, the shape, the metal color, or just that it was hers? The answer decides whether we convert the whole piece, reset only the stones, or leave it alone.
Your three options, and when I steer people to each
1. Wear it as a brooch
If the design is one you like and the pin and catch are secure, this is often the best answer, and it costs you the least of your original piece. The trend is on your side here. Pin it at a collar, on a lapel, on a scarf, or on a knit. If the pin stem looks bent or the catch feels loose, have it checked before you wear it. Losing a brooch off a coat is how many heirlooms get lost.
2. Convert it into a pendant
This is the usual fix for a brooch you love but don't pin. The piece keeps its look and moves to a chain, where you'd wear it daily. I do have to be upfront about the tradeoffs. A brooch is designed to sit flat against fabric, so a heavy or wide one can hang awkwardly on a chain, and I'll tell you if I think yours will. Converting a piece may also change it for good, which is why question one above comes first. For a sense of how I think about turning a piece into a necklace, see what works and what doesn't when changing a ring into a necklace.
3. Reset the stones into something new
Sometimes the brooch design isn't you, but the stones are. Then the stones come out and become earrings, a ring, or a pendant of their own, and the metal can be reused too. This is the most personal option and the least reversible, so I'd only do it once you're sure. I did something close to this with a client's father's cuff links, which became a monogrammed bracelet.
When I tell people to leave it alone
I say this more than you'd expect. I'll tell you to leave a brooch as it is if it's signed or clearly of its period and worth more whole, if the stones are fragile or the piece is delicate enough that taking it apart would risk damage, or if the real reason you're thinking of changing it is pressure and not wanting to. If you're not ready, that's fine. I wrote more about when you shouldn't redesign an heirloom. Keeping it in its box for now is a legitimate choice.
The reframe: the expensive part is already in your jewelry box
Whatever you choose, remember that you already own the most costly materials in any project: the metal and the stones, plus the story. A new piece of comparable quality would mean buying all of that again. What you're paying for in a redesign is mostly design and craft, and the piece stays in the family. It's also a lower-waste route than buying new.
How it works with me
- Free consultation. You bring the brooch (or photos, if we're meeting virtually), and we talk about how you'd wear it. I tell you honestly if I'd convert it, reset it, or leave it.
- Sketches and CAD. If we go ahead, you see designs before anything is made. CAD designs are unlimited: the first two are included, with a small charge after that.
- Fabrication. Your piece is made in the studio.
- Delivery. You pick it up in Santa Monica or I ship it, insured.
A few questions I hear
Can it be both a brooch and a pendant? Sometimes. It depends on the piece and its weight, so it's a conversation for the consultation.
Can I do this if I don't live near Santa Monica? Yes. Consultations work virtually from anywhere in the U.S. I wrote about what happens when you mail a piece to a jeweler.
What if the brooch is damaged? Often there's still something to work with, but it depends on the damage. I'll look at it with you and say plainly what's possible. More on how I approach heirlooms is on the heirloom redesign page.
If you like seeing how I handle a single special stone on a chain, take a look at the customizable pendant with rope detail, the oval cut diamond east-west bezel necklace, or the oval cut white opal east-west solitaire necklace. These are examples of the finished look, not what your piece would become.
Start with a conversation, not a decision
Book a complimentary consultation — in person in Santa Monica or virtually from anywhere in the U.S. Not ready yet? Email me a few photos and I'll tell you what I see.
Kate Rose is the founder of Kate Rose Fine Jewelry, a Santa Monica studio specializing in heirloom redesign and custom fine jewelry.
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