A very good friend of mine was clearing out her father’s house. As you go through someone’s possessions, you often find unexpected things. Her father’s French cuff shirts required cufflinks, which are not as commonly worn as they once were. So what does one do with 18K yellow gold heirloom cufflinks? These are pieces that deserve a second life.

I have a client who had a substantial amount of jewelry to sell and wanted to create some unique pieces for herself from the proceeds. When I removed the diamonds from her vintage-style earrings, I noticed they were old European-cut gems, and they were a perfect match. They spoke to me, so I proposed creating a pair of diamond stud earrings.

Timing is everything when selling your gold jewelry

I am lucky enough to have a good reputation in my industry. Because of that, when people in my network hear that someone needs help with fine jewelry, either to sell or design, they immediately think of me — and refer me.

A lot of us have pets that are beloved members of the family, and when they pass away, we are heartbroken. Today, technology offers us a meaningful way to keep them close: Jewelry that holds their ashes, turning grief into a remembrance we can carry with us.

Some of my favorite projects come through word-of-mouth recommendations. Recently, I was contacted by a new client whose networking group colleague had known me for years and spoke highly of my work.

She had a diamond from an old engagement ring, and wanted to repurpose the diamond into a custom piece for her daughter. That was exactly up my alley.