Why I Refused to Polish a Widow’s Memorial Bracelet

#JewelryRepair #MemorialJewelry #HeirloomJewelry
A widow brought me a bracelet that caught me completely off guard.

It was broken, but what made it so special was what it had been made from: her late husband’s Iowa State class ring, a tri-color ring from the years he lived and worked in Italy, and part of his wedding band — the exact match to the one she still wears today, complete with their names and anniversary date engraved inside.

When I examined the bracelet, I found that one of the rivets had already failed, and several others were wearing dangerously thin. On a piece like this, years of movement, along with dirt and makeup buildup between the links, can create friction that slowly wears away those thin gold connections.

I repaired the bracelet by making new, wider rivets from harder 10kt gold so it would be stronger and better protected going forward.

But there was one part of this repair I felt strongly about.

I only polished the new work I added.

Some of the scratches and small marks on the original ring pieces were likely from when her husband wore them, and I felt those memories deserved to stay exactly as they were.

Come visit me at my brand new showroom located in Cranberry Township, PA!

If you’re interested in custom jewelry, heirloom redesigns, or meaningful jewelry repairs, and you aren't local, start here:

https://www.emighjewelrycompany.com/s...

#JewelryRepair #MemorialJewelry #HeirloomJewelry #CustomJewelry #ZachEmigh #ZachEmighJewelry #EmighJewelry #EmighJewelryCompany

#Jewelrymaking, #jeweler, #jewelryworkshop, #jewelrymanufacturing.