REPURPOSING

Reinventing Memories and Sentiment

Loree Bologna is a designer goldsmith, specialising in custom design bespoke pieces and in reinventing and repurposing inherited pieces of jewellery.

At the heart of her work is the understanding of the stories and sentiment that jewellery possesses; and of the importance of true collaboration and conversation between client and designer.

In the Heritage Repurposing section of the portfolio, with the permission of the clients, I will share some of the history and the journey of the transformation of each piece of repurposed jewellery.

Why Repurpose?

We often have a piece of jewellery that is special to us and has great sentiment attached to it. The problem is that we no longer wear it. We keep it hidden in a box or draw and take it out and look at it occasionally. Reinventing, changing the style or using some of the elements of that piece to create a whole new item is a great way to keep the sentiment alive and have something you will actually wear and cherish.

The Repurposing Process

There are many different ways to approach redesigning a piece of jewellery. Sometimes the actual metal can be reused, most often the stones can be reused, or the piece stays the same but is adapted. A brooch becomes a pendant or a ring for example. It starts with seeing to cherished item and the conversation begins.