What Was Once Old, Is New Again

If you follow Inspired Antiquity on Instagram, then you've already seen these two little platinum bands that I happened upon.  And, as you know, my favorite metal is platinum.  I have a been collecting antique and vintage platinum wedding bands for years now.  I've worn them as stacking rings since high school. 

A simple, plain wedding band (left) with the inscription, "R.T.J. to A.P.F. " & a second platinum band - sans stones.

The second band - the one missing the stones - dates to 1936!  How amazing is that?!  When I posted them to Instagram, I asked for suggestions from our followers on what kind of stones should replace those that are missing in the one band.   

So, apparently, great minds think alike!  One Instagram follower, Maejean Vintage, suggested sapphires.  And given that I have no idea what stones this band held prior to its arrival on my finger...sapphires seemed perfect!

The interior inscription reads, "A.M. to W.P. 10-11-36."  Just imagine the history that this band has seen in it's time!

The next big question is, "when you want to restore a ring like this one with so much history, and that was obviously precious to someone once upon a time, where do you take it?"

I am lucky enough so have some amazing jewelers here in the Midwest with years of experience working with fine antique and vintage pieces.  So naturally, I took it to one of my favorites, Lilliane's Jewelry, in Prairie Village, Kansas to have the work done.

And...Because I can't just do something like everyone else, I did something a little different but in keeping with Maejean Vintage's suggestion.  I went with sapphires but I chose orange instead of the traditional blue.  My favorite color is orange - like an Arizona sunset - and the graduated sizes of these stones reminds me of a sinking sun in the evening sky over the red rocks.  Nature at it's best!

Doesn't this orange sapphire & platinum reincarnation of the old band look amazing against the
shades of orange of the Arizona backdrop?!?!  It seems like it fits it just perfectly!

Personally, I couldn't be happier with the result.  And, I hope you'll agree, that sometimes the best way to give an older piece a new lease on life is to update it in a way that pays homage to its history but allows it to fully reside in the here and now.

What better way to give an old piece a new lease on life than to have new stones added that
reflect the new life itself.  Besides, every time I wear it now, it reminds me of the Arizona sunset
that it was modelled after - such a beautiful, happy place.

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