Iron Jewelry Design · 2017
Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept to perpetuate emotions
- A' Design Award 2017 Iron Winner in Jewelry Design
- Awarded April 15, 2017
- CLIENT: Britta Schwalm
- Estimated Number of Design Views: 24,731
- Verification code D304E8AAD8 · Verify this award
About Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept to perpetuate emotions
There exist a lot of jewelry carrying memories about family or events. They have become old-fashioned since, but are too invaluable and beloved to be sold. They are often tucked away in the jewelry box. Meaningful Heart Jewelry is usually a pendant to be worn either on a necklace, sometimes as a charm, a brooch or key-holder. It is a new piece of jewelry in a new shape but it still perpetuates all the individual emotions and memories. It is without fail made from the beloved old gold that was trusted to BrittasSchmiede. It is a heart melting concept.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- Meaningful Heart jewelry is usually a pendant to be worn either on a necklace, sometimes as a charm, a brooch or key holder. It is melted from old pieces of jewellery. Pieces with strong memories attached, but not wearable because of shape or constitution. The result of the melting process is a heart shaped pendant, solid gold, with a smooth or rough surface, depending on the customers wishes. It is still full of emotions and memories and it is without fail the e.g. wedding ring of grandma.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Depending on the amount of material a melted heart measures approx. 5 mm to 5 cm in diameter.
It is above-mentioned to have a rough melted surface. - Tags
- Meaningful, Heart, jewelry, gold, preloved, sustainable, recycling, up cycling, reused, pendant, key ring, charm,
- Production Technology
- The gold has to be analyzed, to make sure it is gold. Thereafter it will be arranged in a heart shaped form on my melting place. I put the fire on it and heat it up all-over till it starts melting. With a little stick the fluid gold can be arranged. Then I cool it down in some water. Then I polish the surface to a smooth or rough finish. If there is a piece of jewellery which should stay untouched, I construct a wire or panel, to get a heart shape, with the precious untouched piece e.g. inside.
- Design Challenge
- The challenge in this project is to recognise the ideas of a person, not used to think about the shape of a jewellery and reach this ideas so that the customer feel Yes, that's it. The second challenge is to create a design which is close resembles a love heart, while avoiding to bee cheesy or appearing too chunky.
- Project Duration
- First gold fever-event took place in early 2010. After yet another gold fever in November 2014, the idea appeared to take off and I implement the Heart of preloved gold option on my website and in my goldsmith's shop. In February 2016 I was invited to give a demonstration of my Meaningful Heart jewelry live in the TV show Hallo Hessen. In March 2016 I registered the website Herz-aus-Altgol.de
- Operation Flow
- There exist a lot of jewelleries carrying memories. They have become old-fashioned since, but are too special to be sold and are tucked away in the jewellery box. As a Heart of preloved gold the jewelleries can be worn. In a new look, but the material still carrying the memories. It is much more cost efficient than buying something new. The only money to be paid is for my work. And, my benefit: I love this special glance in the eyes when the customers pick up their completed jewelry.
- Research
- The pieces consist of preloved gold or silver and of diamonds or precious stones which were part of the jewelry melted for this project. The material of the pendant is 100 percent recycled gold or silver. The environmental savings: No new material has to be mined. All of it is already there and usually at least 20 years old. There is a saving of poisonous chemicals, which are usually required in recycling gold. These chemicals are not needed in my process, as the gold is only re-shaped.
- Inspiration
- First step into this direction was an event called Goldrausch - gold fever. Visitors were invited to bring their old silver or gold items and melt a nugget by themselves. Once a client came and sought advice about what to make out of her preloved gold. She didn't want to sell it, as it had belonged to her grandma, but she could not wear it. I remembered gold fever and asked her to make it to a heart shaped melted nugget. The result was a beautiful little golden heart, which my client loved.
Colors of Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept to perpetuate emotions
Design Interview about Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept to perpetuate emotions
First of all: sorry for my humble english.
The idea is to preserve strong and positive emotions. If you own a jewel that reminds you of a beloved person but you can't wear it, the heart of preloved gold-concept brings new life in the beloved jewel and preserves the emotion.
The idea is to preserve strong and positive emotions. If you own a jewel that reminds you of a beloved person but you can't wear it, the heart of preloved gold-concept brings new life in the beloved jewel and preserves the emotion.
Jewels are emotions. Jewels connect people during life and over generations. There was a long tradition to give a jewel from father to son, from mother to daughter. Today many people don't know, that these jewels can change their design - sometimes a lot, sometimes a little - but won't change their meaning. Nobody wants to wear old fashioned jewels and with the heart of preloved gold concept I want to show no one needs to.
I set up a homepage and want to show the many different designs, that are possible. Till today there are a lot of heart shaped jewels and I hope the award will bring a lot of publicity, so that there will be a lot more of hearts.
It took a while to get the concept straight and simple.
It happened by accident: I offered to work with the gold customers had and so I had to melt a quite simple but meaningful shape. Because the just melting makes sure there won't be any loss of gold. I recognized that a lot of customers were extremely happy tho know that they have the gold that took care for their mom or dad and that this gold would take care for them as well. And I don't like to do things twice, so I started to design different ways to shape a heart just by melting it. This was fun - for me and for my customers.
I just want to produce it by myself.
I like it when people wear jewels they connect them with others, what could be a better symbol for a connection than a heart?
Everyone - at a special time in his life.
I'm able to work with any type of gold, silver, platinum and even a mixture of it. The usual makeover of jewels has limits, of course. No goldsmith can take a tiny thin chain and create a solid strong ring or bracelet from it. I just offer to melt it down - let's see the color, let's see the the dimensions. But it'll be kind of a heart.
The name is the concept: heart of preloved gold means, bring you gold with all the emotions in it and I melt it to a heart. It can be a heartshaped pendant, brooch, earrings or even a key-ring.
Fire and courage (I need some courage to meld a nice piece of jewellery down...)
I can be changed upside down. The concept, once understood by customers, can be applied to a lot of jewels. Sometimes I have to melt a key ring from a lot of gold, sometimes I'm asked to melt a star instead of a heart and sometimes I shall try to melt the star sign.
No, as a trained goldsmith I have all the skills required.
Technology has a very low role, all I need is fire.
It was observing customers reactions over some years.
To make it simple yet flexible.
I had good experience before.
I learned so very much what life can bring to people.
The heart of preloved gold concept is a low cost-concept. It's an affordable design-concept.
Check out on http://herz-aus-altgold.de
Check out on http://herz-aus-altgold.de
Grand Interview about Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept to perpetuate emotions
The pivotal moment came when a customer approached me with a piece of unworn gold jewelry that held deep sentimental value but was no longer worn due to its outdated style. She wanted to preserve the memories associated with it but also desired a piece she could wear. This inspired me to create the Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept, where cherished heirlooms are transformed into beautiful, wearable art while preserving their emotional significance.
Our melting process involves carefully analyzing the material to ensure its purity and then melting it down to form a new heart-shaped piece. Throughout this process, we maintain the integrity of the original gold, ensuring that the emotional value remains intact. We do this by intensively consulting with each individual customer about how the new heart should be shaped and what should be retained from the previous piece. The new heart shape not only gives the piece a fresh, contemporary look but also serves as a tangible reminder of the original jewelry's sentimental importance.
One of the main technical challenges was ensuring that the gold maintained its structural integrity during the melting process. Achieving the delicate balance between preserving the gold's texture and forming a visually appealing heart shape required precise temperature control and careful craftsmanship. Additionally, incorporating any existing stones or engravings from the original piece into the new design posed a challenge, but we managed to integrate these elements seamlessly.
The Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept contributes to sustainability by using a chemical-free melting process, which ensures that no harmful substances are released into the environment. Additionally, by recycling the original gold and other materials, we minimize waste and reduce the need for new resources. This approach not only preserves the emotional value of the jewelry but also promotes environmentally responsible practices in the jewelry industry.
Blending traditional goldsmithing with modern design involves combining time-honored techniques with innovative approaches. By using traditional methods to melt and shape the gold, we ensure the piece's quality and durability. At the same time, modern design principles guide the creation of aesthetically pleasing and contemporary heart shapes. This fusion of old and new allows us to create pieces that honor the heritage of the original jewelry while giving it a fresh, modern look.
One memorable story involves a client who brought in her late grandmother's gold bracelet. The bracelet held immense sentimental value, but she never wore it. We transformed the bracelet into a heart pendant, made an individual engraving and incorporating a small diamond from an other piece of jewelry. When she received the pendant, she was deeply moved, as it allowed her to carry her grandmother's memory with her in a beautiful, wearable form.
Since its inception at the Gold Fever event, the Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept has evolved to include a wider range of customization options. We offer different finishes, such as polished or matte surfaces, and the ability to incorporate additional elements like engravings or small gemstones. These innovations allow us to create even more personalized and meaningful pieces that resonate with our clients' unique stories.
When recommending different wearing options, we consider the client's personal style, the sentimental value of the original piece, and how they plan to wear the transformed jewelry. For example, a pendant might be ideal for someone who wants to keep the piece close to their heart, while a charm or key holder might be better suited for someone who prefers a more subtle reminder of their loved one.
We approach this balance by carefully listening to our clients' stories and understanding the emotional significance of the original piece. We then use this insight to create a design that not only preserves the essence of the original jewelry but also incorporates modern elements that make it wearable and appealing in today's context. You can't imagine how many different ways there are to shape a heart. And we also make stars or leaves :-D
Looking ahead, we envision expanding the Meaningful Heart Jewelry Concept by taking each and every customer seriously. Most of them have great ideas. When these ideas come together with ours, something unique and individual is created every time. For example, a cross made from a wedding ring in a picture frame. Going forward, we plan to remain as open, curious and creative with each customer as we were with our first customer.