Before and After

In the 40+ years that I have been designing and creating jewelry, I have fashioned thousands of special order rings, necklaces, earrings, bracelets and cuff links for customers. Jewelry that has gone out of fashion, changing sentimental attachment, pieces passed down that do not represent the new owner’s taste and lifestyle, are just a few of the reasons people turn their old jewelry into something new.

These before/after photos illustrate what we can do for you at Porte 4. Let us know if you’d like to turn your old jewelry into something you’d be proud and happy to wear.


Tanzanite Ring

Here is a beautiful pair of pear-shaped tanzanite stones that were given to my client by a relative. She wanted them mounted in a ring. We talked at length to determine what she liked and was hoping to wear. I then went ahead and created a modern looking by-pass ring that is strong in style and shows the stones to their best advantage. She loves it. “It’s perfect,” she told me. I’m sure you’ll agree.

Multi-stone Diamond Ring

Here, you see an old ring that was passed down.
This style was neither my client’s taste nor preference.
I removed the diamonds and stagger-set them in my ‘Donut’ ring, creating a modern, youthful, and much  appreciated look.

Corporate Logo

Here is an interesting “Before – After” story and it all starts with a logo. A customer who sells golf shoes and sandals asked me to create sterling silver key chains for some of his employees. This was a challenging job because the logo, which is the name of his company, is written in a very distinct script. To duplicate it, we had to sculpt the first piece entirely by hand. We then made a mold of the original and can now recreate the logo in any form of jewelry requested. Take note of the really cute pink enamel heart! Porte 4 can custom-create your corporate logo for any piece of jewelry you desire. We can even create the logo if you don’t already have one. Call us for more details.

Circle of Life I recently received a commission to create a special gift for my client’s wife featuring the birthstones of their two children and two grandchildren. Rather than make the typical mother’s or grandma’s piece of jewelry, I created a Circle of Life pendant. The birthstones are diamond for April, emerald for May, rose zircon for October and garnet for January. I wanted the stones large enough so that they can easily be seen. I suspended the stones on a series of handmade wires. I surrounded them with brilliant, full-cut diamonds and hung the pendant on a chain hidden behind the diamonds, so as not to disrupt the flow of the piece. My client’s wife’s reaction when she contacted me after receiving her gift: "It is EXACTLY what I wanted but more so. It’s stunning! I love it!" I love it, too.

Two New Looks

This client was in need of a total jewelry make-over. Her engagement ring was in a plain 14k two tone mounting with broken prongs and out-of-date style. The diamond was brilliant and lovely and was crying for a new mounting that would show off its radiance. The amethyst was in worse condition. As you can see, the stone was in bad shape, with a lot of wear and tear, especially at the point where the facets meet (abrading).
Here are the two stones reset:

The amethyst was sent to a lapidary to polish the stone before I set it in an antique platinum mounting with baguettes. The diamond was set in an 18k white gold mounting and the small diamonds on the shank accentuate the size and brilliance of the center. My client proudly wears her rings and receives compliments wherever she goes.