Recreating a Lost Vintage Ring from an Old Polaroid
Engagement rings, wedding bands and inherited heirloom jewelry often carry deeply symbolic and emotional significance. When they wind up stolen or lost, the experience can be heartbreaking. For jewelry that was created decades ago; the manufacturer may no longer be around. If the only visual reference to go by is a grainy Polaroid, any chance of replicating the piece may seem hopeless at best. But not anymore.
Our customer had inherited a ring that was originally owned by her Grandmother. She’d hoped to pass it on to her daughter until it wound up missing 20 years ago. With the manufacturer no longer in business, the only visual reference to go by was a grainy Polaroid and her memory.
During our initial interview with our customer, we determined that the ring must have been crafted in the mid 1920’s. She was also able to provide detail from memory, which wasn’t depicted in the remaining photograph. Once we had a basic idea what the ring looked like, we began a thorough research on dinner rings from that era.
Weeks later, we presented our customer with the first set of computer renderings; which helped her recall more detail. This resulted in more research, and a new set of renderings. The process of research, rendering and refining, continued until our customer was absolutely sure that the renderings, we created, resembled the ring she’d lost 2 decades ago. Upon viewing her completed ring, our customer was amazed; her ring had found its way back home.
Rings from a bygone era were often crafted using different fabrication techniques and design elements than rings today. A rewarding experience for everyone involved comes from understanding older techniques, expertise in replicating them in a modern workshop and having enough design-patience to see the project through.
