Repurposing old Jewellery: An Interview with Roseanna Croft

I had the opportunity to chat to the lovely Roseanna Croft, owner of Roseanna Croft Jewellery about her work repurposing and redesigning old jewellery. It’s a really interesting topic for me as when I work with clients, decluttering and organising their homes, we sometimes come across old pieces of jewellery that have been handed down through generations, or bought years ago and have been hidden away, unworn for various reasons. I was fascinated to hear from Roseanna about ways to give these items a new lease of life and enable them to be enjoyed once again.

Q: Tell me about Roseanna Croft Jewellery. What kind of jewellery do you make and what do you specialise in?

A: Roseanna Croft Jewellery is a fine jewellery brand and I class myself as a ‘personal jeweller.’ I specialise in creating one of a kind jewellery for every chapter of your life and in particular redesigning heirloom jewellery and pieces you may have inherited from family or loved ones. For instance, if you have inherited your grandmother’s Art Deco sapphire and diamond engagement ring but it's not to your taste or it’s too delicate to wear, we can work together on redesigning it to make it unique to you or rebuild it to what it would have looked like 100 years ago.

Q: What do you particularly love about repurposing old items of jewellery?

A: I love that repurposed jewellery still carries so much history, sentimental value and connection to loved ones. It keeps old memories alive but celebrates a new chapter as well. It’s such a magical way to create a new piece of jewellery.

It’s also sustainable and means that we’re recycling old diamonds, gemstones and metals.

Q: As a Professional Organiser, I'm often helping clients to go through their sentimental items to decide what to keep and what to let go of. I actively encourage clients not to keep sentimental items hidden away in a box, but to find ways to display them, repurpose them, re-use them and most importantly to enjoy them! Can you give me some examples of old jewellery items that you've worked on that have previously been 'hidden away' and now have a new lease of life.

A: Absolutely, there are a few that come to mind. Recently I have reworked 7 antique wedding rings a client of mine had hidden away in a drawer, she’d inherited them from her and her husband's family. She wasn’t wearing them and wanted them to be in a state that her children would wear them and keep the history alive when she was no longer here. We redesigned them into a more contemporary and organic looking ring that she could wear as a wedding ring, we also made a pendant as she had so much gold. The pendant in particular was made of only hers and her husband’s wedding rings so she could keep her late husband close to her.

One of my customers had an antique engagement ring that was so worn it was collapsing and she was at risk of losing her beautiful diamonds so we remade it to the quality it would have been 100 years ago. Similarly I had a lady with an engagement ring that she couldn’t wear because it wasn’t to her taste anymore so we modernised it and created her a much more elegant design.

Another I made last year was from a lady who recently got divorced. She loved the diamonds in her engagement ring and wanted to wear them so we designed her a statement ring that celebrates her past, present and future.

You can read further case studies on redesign examples here.

 Q: A lot of people may not realise you can repurpose jewellery in this way  - what should people be looking for when decluttering their jewellery? Are there particular pieces that are easier to repurpose than others?

A: Keep an eye out for pieces of jewellery that you simply don’t wear but have a sentimental value to you. You can usually only repurpose jewellery that is made of precious metals and using precious or semi-precious gems. You may be able to tell if they’re gold but look out for little stamps with numbers on, this is called a hallmark and will give you an idea that they’re precious. If in doubt, speak to a jeweller you trust who can tell you exactly what metal your jewellery is.

If you have things like single earrings, broken chains or rings these all add up and can play a huge part in creating a wonderful new piece of jewellery for you. 

Q: How do you come up with the ideas and designs on how to repurpose the items. Do you work with the client to try and incorporate their ideas and the stories behind the items?

A: It all depends on the mix of jewellery we’re working with and the exact circumstances. I work very closely with my clients and take them on an ‘Heirloom Journey,’ taking into account the past, present and future of their jewellery. 

 We determine what the story behind the jewellery is, what their personal tastes are, if there are any design elements they love or don’t love, how they’d like to wear their jewellery - if it’s an occasion or an every day piece.

 Once we’ve had this initial conversation over a coffee, I begin coming up with sketches and ideas to present them and from there it's a very collaborative process between us.

Q: If anyone has items of jewellery they would like you to repurpose for them, what's the first step?

A: To redesign your jewellery, once you’ve had a good look in your jewellery box (and drawers!) then you can contact me by email to organise coffee (virtually or in person if you’re based in London) and a design conversation or join one of my ‘Legacy and Heirloom’ talks held on a Saturday morning to learn more about the jewellery redesign process.

My website is www.roseannacroftjewellery.com

My personal email address is roseanna@roseannacroftjewellery.com

The link to my talks on legacy and heirlooms is https://www.roseannacroftjewellery.com/legacy-and-heirlooms-coffee-connections

You can also follow me on Instagram www.instagram.com/roseannacroftjewellery