A thick, gold U-shaped bar is adorned with a wavy line of 10 rubies and six emeralds set within gold eyes. A cluster of gold droplets dangles beneath the coloured stones. When I first received this traditional Indian necklace from my grandmother on my wedding day 11 years ago, I thanked her and put it away in my safe, where it has remained untouched ever since – until now.
I’m a sentimental person. I hold on to memories and tuck them away like precious stones, especially when they are imbued with history. This necklace, you see, was given to my paternal grandmother by my maternal grandmother on the day of my parents’ wedding. I cherished it wholeheartedly, even though I knew I’d never wear it. It just isn’t my style. But the growing trend of resetting heirloom jewellery made me reconsider how I treasure – and wear – my fine jewellery. My grandmother passed away last year, making the necklace feel even more sacred. But rather than keeping it locked in the safe, I decided to transform it into something that I could easily slip on everyday; something that carried her story while also speaking to my own.
A lack of wearability is the most common cause for resetting jewellery, according to Arkay Jewellery founder Resham Khan. “The client usually feels they get no wear out of it. I’ve unfortunately seen several sets that have never been worn,” she says, adding that the most popular approach is to make elaborate or traditional pieces more modern. “Rarely have I ever turned something simple into something fancy; it always goes the other way,” reflects Khan. “I think the days of huge elaborate pieces are gone and people want simple, usable and quality pieces.” She recalls once resetting a fancy yellow diamond crown, breaking it up into more wearable tennis necklaces and one large pendant on a chain.
Jewellery designer Donna Hourani points out that it’s often younger women who feel more adventurous about changing designs, but sometimes older women consider resetting their gems too, especially if they are associated with negative emotions or relationships. “Specifically after a divorce, some may want to upcycle their wedding rings into something new – a renewed heirloom for their next chapter,” she elaborates. For such clients, the process can be uplifting and healing. “After all, it will become a piece that they will carry forever and should remind them of nothing but love and hope,” explains Hourani.
Storytelling, she stresses, is key to the process. “I always start by listening to understand the meaning behind the piece and what the client wants to keep or change,” she shares. “Many times, clients joke that it’s therapy, but really, it truly is and they acknowledge it.” Then she sends across design sketches, renders and specific plans for how every gemstone will be reused. The jewellery is melted down and deconstructed in order to be reconstructed and recast. The original jewels are then implemented into the new setting, sometimes using additional stones. Hourani’s most memorable commission was creating a reversible heirloom necklace for a client named Marian. It combined a mystic topaz from her maternal grandmother’s ring and diamonds from her paternal grandmother’s cross charm.
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“I designed it in a way that let both stories live together in one piece,” she shares. “The necklace has two faces, representing Marian’s Gemini zodiac as well as the two grandmothers who shaped her as a person. At the bottom, I added two diamonds and a garnet, their shared birthstone, forming a small trinity that symbolises harmony, wisdom and understanding.” It became a talisman of both love and legacy, passed down through generations – much like my own heirloom necklace, a piece that honours both of my grandmothers.
Wanting to stay true to my original design without deviating from the actual shapes and motifs, I decided to break the necklace into three parts – the wavy line of rubies, the six gold eyes with emeralds and the cluster of gold droplets. The gold bar that once anchored it all was melted down and crafted into three rings, one for each of the different elements. Now, my everyday ring stack features two new additions – one with a wave of rubies and one with a line of emerald-set eyes – a tribute to two formidable matriarchs in my family line. I save the ring with gold jingly droplets for more festive occasions.
I can just picture my grandmother’s reaction – first, shock at the prospect of taking the necklace apart, then finally softening into approval as she sees that the colourful gems now adorn my fingers almost daily. Practicality, after all, was one of the many underrated superpowers of my beloved granny.
This story originally appeared in the January 2026 issue of Vogue Arabia
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