A young man came into the Gallery the other month, with some family rings in one hand and his sweetheart holding on to the other. His family was from Maine, but he had moved away seeking work and new opportunities. He and his fiance were always fond of and nostalgic for their childhoods here in New England, and so decided to return here to create their wedding rings. These rings would forevermore, no matter where across the world they travelled, remind them of their homes and families in the trees and mountains.

The couple brought in a few old family rings, that they wanted to reuse to create their own bands. While we sat and chatted about size, design, and the like, the man cheerfully recounted to me the stories of each ring that he had brought.

“This one,” pointing to the first, “was my great-grandmother’s. And this, my great aunt’s.” He smiled and seemed nostalgic as he turned the rings in his hands. The girl grinned too, happy that the man could relive the memories of his youth when looking at his beloved family heirlooms.

“This one though, this one is extra-special. This ring belonged to my grandmother, and she and her beau bought it in Switzerland on a whim when they went on vacation. Isn’t it stunning?”  And the ring was gorgeous. Comprised of eight sapphires and ten diamonds, the ring was a beauty, forged in the old style.

The couple wanted to reuse these rings to create new, modern rings that would suit them and their style and lifestyle, all while holding close a keepsake that contained joyous memories. And my oh my, did they turn out to be stunners!

Out of the family rings we were able to reuse the gold to create new bands for the couple, and out of the collection of old stones we were able to create three stunning rings. For the woman, two yellow gold bands with five diamonds each. And for the fellow, one bulkier yellow gold band set with the stunning cabochon sapphires.

When they returned to the shop, this time with the young man’s mother as well, we couldn’t help but feel excited and a little bit nervous about whether or not they would like the new rings. Their reaction was so much better than expected! Smiles all around, and even some tears from mom, and we knew that we had done well.

These rings that are so dear to such a young couple, and symbolize their eternal love and commitment for each other, are made even more special knowing the history behind the gold and stones. Cradled in the gold and comfortingly circling their fingers are memories both old and new, that will be passed down from generation to generation: as are the stories of how the rings came to be.