i posted these pictures on Instagram a little while ago, but never got around to elaborating about them.
i recently purchased two separate, unrelated vintage 14k yellow gold wedding bands: a plain thin one i planned to use as a stacking ring and this heavy (6 grams) man’s wedding ring. i intended to resize the latter and completely smooth out the exterior design. there was a date inside the band, which is very close to when my parents were married. it was my jeweler who noticed the ring was actually two-toned; he also convinced me to keep the original design.
i know there are a lot of new options, new designers and aesthetics for jewelry available now, but i find older pieces to have so much character. there’s a story – and if you don’t know the story, there’s mystery. i like to try and save pieces from being melted down when i can, and really admire the artisans and designers who either restore or re-work these old treasures to give them a new life.
while antique or vintage wedding bands aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, i’ve noticed an increasing trend. there’s certainly an appropriate irony when an antique wedding band, a circle symbolizing eternity and never-ending love, is worn again and again, carrying that same message, instead of being melted into scrap…
*all images property of gloria c. and imunlisted.wordpress.com
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