Repurposing old gems to create fresh memories

Fresh look: The demand for jewellery redesign has grown over the years.

Whether after a death, divorce or just a change of heart, more people are finding new ways to wear their treasures.

More and more, customers are coming into Brazen Studio, Sarah Raffel’s jewellery boutique and workshop in Glasgow, Scotland, with wedding or engagement rings they can no longer bear to wear but with which they don’t want to part. They want her to take the gemstones and metal and turn them into something totally new. “I would say interest has definitely tripled over the last three years,” she said.