A divorce might not sound like cause for celebration, but owner of accessories boutique Cerise on London’s Columbia road and online Cerise Maria Aidley, found her perfect solution.
Maria said: ‘I was in the shop one day when Simon, the resident jeweller, told me about his idea to turn an old piece of jewellery into something new.
‘Rather than moving old unworn bits of jewellery from cupboard to cupboard, covered in dust, Simon could reinvent the jewellery into something wearable, which can lower the cost of having something new. I really wanted something to represent the members of my family, using the diamonds from the jewellery of my second wedding which I never wear. Simon took a look at the wedding jewellery and came up with a design using the stones, but we would need more metal to complete it. So out from the cupboard came the tennis bracelet I bought myself from the divorce settlement of marriage number one. All that stuff is water under the bridge now, so it seemed like a perfect way to show I’ve moved on and get a tasty wearable treat. ‘
As the woman with unworn jewellery hidden in the back of her cupboard, Maria later went on to invent her own ’story ring’ for Simon to create. This was a stackable ring with different stones on, one to represent every child of Maria’s and something lovely for each of them to later inherit. Maria added: ‘I love the idea that I’m getting exactly what I want and that my children will have a ring each to inherit. I will now been able to wear and enjoy the jewellery on a daily basis, and I got a treat out of it that I know will last. I win and so do the kids.’
Simon Rees, who has been making bespoke jewellery for nearly 20 years, says the idea came to him when he found out his cousin was getting married.
He said: ‘They didn’t have any money for the wedding, so I suggested getting all the bits of gold from the family no one wanted and I’d make the wedding rings. At the time I had no idea that they would be transformed into such extraordinary colours. I created two bands and because of the various golds used, the outcome was quite unpredictable – but they looked wonderful.’
The service is super for women who have jewellery that no longer suits their needs, such as those bits of jewellery received as 18th birthday presents or gifts from granny. Rather than wasting unworn jewellery, the idea is to enhance it by bringing it back to life, so that you can fondly remember a relative or special person, as you peer at your new favourite piece of jewellery.
So what jewellery can be made?
Pretty much anything you can think of; bracelets, rings, earrings and the list goes on. And all the golds of any quality can be used. There is an initial fee of £150, which involves two meetings with Simon to discuss ideas, then a model is made of silver so the customer can physically see the piece, before Simon takes the stones out and starts melting the jewellery down. Simon says: ‘It’s a fun process, as customers learn a bit about what’s involved in making the jewellery and see how the transformation is done’.
The remodelling costs start at £200 and makes either a perfect gift for yourself or for someone else, especially for Christmas, but bear in mind bespoke takes a minimum of 6 weeks – so don’t leave it too late!
