The story is a familiar one: you find an old piece of jewellery at the bottom of a drawer. What can you do with it?
Sometimes these findings are of a considerable monetary value. The materials can be excellent but the design is often just plain outdated, or perhaps it wasn't that good to start with. These family treasures may not get used ever again unless something is done.
Atelier Torbjörn Tillander's workshop transforms such gems all the time. You could take your grandmother's old brooch there too, so Tina Tillander's team can work their magic and make it into something completely different.
Carla Koivurinta from Turku was given a ring with a diamond that was originally bought in South Africa who knows how long ago. It came from a shop in Cape Town, already set in a ring that was never particularly nice.
– It looked like the stone was somehow hidden in the body of the ring and not standing out at all, reminisces Carla's mother Minna Koivurinta.
– The idea of using the diamond in a completely new creation was a great one, even if I say so myself. The ugly duckling of rings became a beautiful swan, with a stone that gives it special emotional value.
And what did Tina think when this beautiful stone set in a less-than-beautiful ring landed on her desk?
– It was a joy to save this particular stone, Tina says smiling.
– We were asked to create a pretty and delicate jewel suitable for a young girl. It would have to be gorgeous now, but also in ten or twenty years' time.
We chose platinum because it is often considered a more neutral option, particularly by the younger generation. In fact, Tina wanted to ensure the new design was timeless in every way. A middle-aged person would probably think the ring's delicate body and high crown showcase the brilliant-cut diamond in a classic way, but the young could interpret its style as retro or vintage.
– I will always design a unique piece for a twenty-year old keeping in mind that she sees and lives fashion differently from her mother.
– A jewel may remind a mother of the film stars from the '50s, for instance, but her daughter could see it as a recent reference to a subculture, meme or the style of an interesting social media personality. We all read and interpret the world in our own way, and it is precisely this that makes it so much fun to create your own style.
Carla's high school graduation party in the spring 2017 is just a nice memory now, as she is about to start hotel studies in a top school in Lausanne, Switzerland.
What did you think when your parents gave you the ring?
– I knew they were going to give me a ring but had no idea what it would be like. It was a great surprise, it's so lovely!
– My graduation party was full of smiles, congratulations and touching speeches. I have many wonderful photos to remember it by, and this ring, of course. I will keep it forever. I appreciate my mother and father's thought behind the gift; they wanted to give me something unique and enduring. And they found a fantastic way to do it!
Do you have a piece of old jewellery you would like to have renewed or made into something else? If you contact us by the end of April, we'll have enough time to create it for you before the graduation celebrations this spring. Or you can always come and choose from the many fabulous ready-made gifts in our shop. Visit us and see them yourself.