What would you do with my worn vintage engagement ring?

[StartupRepair]

Dh gave me this ring when we got engaged in 1997. It was his great aunt's and dates at least from the 20s. I have worn it most of the time and the little pearls have been very worn. I have replaced one once already. The ring part, white gold, is also very thin and worn.
I have talked to a couple of jewellers and been given some ideas. All prices in Australian dollars, currently.53 sterling.

1. Remake the entire ring in platinum, keeping the diamond and getting new pearls. ($2500).

1. Repair the ring, with new pearls ($1000)

1. Ditch the pearls and remake the ring as a solitaire. This would make it easier to wear every day. The diamond is old cut, about .5 carat. ($800).

Would really appreciate any thoughts or insights. DH is agnostic.

Well thats beautiful! And very delicate!

I would have it reset in a new band as a solitaire. And have the pearls made into earrings (it looks like you may need to replace one of the pearls, possibly both but the angle of the photo makes it hard to tell).

Curveball 4 th option. You could keep the current setting and have it made into a necklace and buy a whole new ring.

Do you have a child/children to pass it on to? Does your dh have any strong feelings about it staying whole?

Option 3

Reasonable cost and you give the ring a new life by keeping the diamond. The spirit of the ring remains but it's more practical to wear.

It's time for the pearls to retire. They have done their work and it's time to move on.

And if your DH doesn't mind then you definitely have the green light to do it. Unless it would make you incredibly sad not to keep the pearls and you can easily afford the cost.

This is a beautiful piece.

Honestly pearls are very delicate. I wouldn’t set them in an everyday/engagement ring. They’ll wear out again, they can’t withstand all the handwashing and possible knocks during the day.

I’d consider remodelling the ring with the original diamond.

I wanted a pearl engagement ring but found an opal vintage one I loved. Would that appeal, the setting is lovely.

Could you make a solitaire diamond ring and use the pearls for earrings, maybe drop earrings? I think that is what I would do.

Its beautiful and very unique. I would get it remade in platinum. It would be such a shame to break up such an unusual ring.

I have an antique engagement ring too. When I bought it it was advised that delicate antique rings are not meant to be worn every day by modern hands - the original wearers would have been ladies who did very little activity in their daily lives. On that basis, I’d get it repaired and only wear it for evenings and special days.

As previously said pearls are not practical to wear everyday so I would have the diamond made into a platinum solitaire and the pearls possibly made into earrings or even a necklace (but if your not fussed about them just keep them in a box).

I’m far too sentimental a person to make the right choice here, I just wanted to chime in to say how beautiful!

Option 3.. Could you have the pearls made into earrings?

Are you asking if it's okay to remodel a family ring to make it more wearable?

Is money a factor? If not, I'd choose the option that makes the ring most wearable for me. So choose the option you like best.

I have my grandmother's engagement ring from the 1930s, the band was wearing away so I had a new band fitted, a little thicker, different gold and now much more wearable for me.

A wearable ring on your finger is better than a preserved ring in a drawer.

I think it’s beautiful & the reason it’s special is that it works as a set & a setting; break it up & you’d have a generic solitaire ring & a generic pair of pearl drops! But agree it’s too delicate for every day.

So I’d have the whole setting made into a pendant & buy a new ring that you love.

Remake into a solitaire ring and the pearls into earrings if possible.

It's lovely but will always be delicate even with a full platinum remake.

I'd be tempted towards the second option, because it is so pretty as it is and because I would be sentimentally attached to keeping it as much as possible like the original.
UNLESS its fragility disrupted your enjoyment of wearing it. I get the impression from your post that you really do want it to be more resilient and trouble free so that you can continue to honour it by wearing it happily.
In that case, perhaps option 3 is better -- assuming that involves keeping the original gold? I think that if the gold were replaced I would experience it as a new ring rather than a renovation of the old one.
Rather than losing the original to that extent, I would cherish it in a drawer and talk with DH about getting a new eternity ring or some such.

I'd repair the ring as sympathetically as possible, then set it aside and wear on special occasions.

I'd ask DH to go ring shopping with you for a durable momento of his affection for you. One that you can wear every day.

I know everyone's tastes are different, but oh my thats.... hideous

I would go for pearls and diamond into a pendant using the gold, or in a drawer to be put away for dc

Option 3. Have the pearls turned into earrings if you're sentimental about those exact ones, or buy some pearl earrings as a nod to them.

That is lovely and so unusual I would have to get it reset on a new band and continue replacing the pearls from time to time.

If you use the diamond for a new ring and the pearls for earrings, it will not be that ring anymore and the family history of it will be all but gone.

Could remodel but replace the pearls with a more hard-wearing gem? Aquamarine have the sea association like pearls.
It's a darling ring.

I wouldn't turn it into a diamond solitaire. They are so popular and that ring is much more unique. I would have it repaired and maybe swap out the pearls for something else. Would opals be more hard wearing?

Repair the (absolutely stunning, unique, beautiful, quirky) ring for 1000 and wear for special

break it up, change it up, will lose its magic, it’s amazing

Thanks for all your lovely and helpful suggestions. These help me see the issues clearly: the uniqueness of the ring, which could be diluted by a big change, versus my preference for a ring I can wear every day. I will discuss further with DH.

@StartupRepair The big issue is that pearls are not suitable for every day use. They are very soft (the total opposite of diamonds) and poor choice for a ring.

Quite frankly - don’t spend money on it. It’s worth little as it is and you won’t get your money back. Unfortunately pearls are simply not robust enough for daily use so it’s good money wasted. This is a dress ring and your DH should have thought about its use. Don't spend any more on it.

Therefore either spend money on a completely new ring or split it up. This isn’t worth spending large sums on to retain it.

Yes, use the diamond if you want but add more to it. Each side maybe? However that will leave the pearls on their own, so what then? Earrings?

I’d go with a pendant, personally - something a little like this: