Jewelry Redesign Story #47: Practical Design: The Perfect Incorporated Closure
THE REDESIGN CHALLENGE:
Terri has been holding on to a diamond ring from her mother for many years. Although she appreciated the emotional and monetary value of the big, round centerpiece stone, she wanted to design a piece of jewelry that would suit her style so she would wear it more often than it sat in a drawer.
Over a video consultation, Terri told us that she was interested in a very simple pendant and we were able to create some minimal and chic designs for her. However, nothing is that simple!
Something that Terri found very important in her jewelry was ease of wear, and thus wanted the closure of the necklace to be both simple and a part of the design of the necklace itself. This made Terri’s pendant a new kind of design challenge for us as we pushed ourselves to find a design that would incorporate the closure into the design itself, effectively hiding it all while making the entire necklace more versatile and dynamic.
THE REDESIGN PROCESS:
initial sketches
We began by designing a clean and modern pendant that would elegantly display Terri’s mother’s 1 carat diamond.
Terri loved the options we gave her and selected a design that featured the diamond as a drop along a visibly linked chain. We provided her with a rendering so she would be able to visualize how her pendant would look before we started any work.
Rendering
This is where Terri challenged us to continue working on the design in a space that we normally focus on less: the practical element of the closure. Terri wanted us to provide for her a couple of different design options that would include the closure as a part of the design.
Closure Sketches
In incorporating the closure into the design, we had to make sure that no matter what we decided on, that the stone would lay centered on Terri once the pendant was finished. We wanted the diamond to sit well on her neck which meant that we couldn’t force the design or we would sacrifice the placement of the diamond on the wearer.
Also, now that the closure was a part of the design, we had to make sure that it matched with the aesthetic of the entire necklace and also was suited to Terri’s modern and simple tastes.
To do this we changed the style of the chains so that they would be the exact same size and shape of the closure, so the chain and the closure would blend seamlessly into one another, remaining hidden.
Pave link sketch
Once we had added this new element into the design, we considered adding a pave link to add some extra flourish although Terri decided she’d rather keep the design simple.
Rhino Model
Sketching and designing was an especially complex process for Terri’s pendant as we had to change our direction a number of times as we worked to incorporate the closure into the design and thus we were frequently changing the weight and style of the chain for the pendant.
However, once we arrived at the Rhino modeling of the pendant the simple design made for an easy model and casting process.
Casting
We used a jumpring connection on the bezel set casting. We had to pay particular attention here to if this would allow the diamond to lie flat. With a design this simple, the way that a stone lays on the wearer is of the utmost importance. Once we made the casting we were happy to see that it laid well and we were ready to finalize the design.
THE REDESIGN REVEAL:
The finished jewelry
Because of the style of the chain and closure, we were so excited that this ended up being an incredibly unique piece that could be worn in a number of different ways. Because the link closure could hook anywhere, Terri would now be able to wear the pendant at varying lengths -- depending on her outfit or her mood with the availability of different silhouettes, chain drop lengths, and symmetry. With an extra closure, Terri was even able to make the chain a bit longer.
Terri loved how the final necklace turned out and couldn’t wait to wear it at one length with a set of her other necklaces as well as on its own at various other lengths.
We were happy too, we loved seeing how even the simplest design could be a complex and exciting design challenge that makes a dynamic and versatile piece.
Materials: 14k yellow gold chain and closure with a round diamond in bezel setting
Manufacturing Level: Simple
Design Level: Medium
Do you have special necklace closure needs? Get started with practical redesigns here.
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