Please help with a brooch to ring conversion project!

[ihy138]

Hi all! I was hoping for your expert eyes and ideas for a ring conversion project that I've been dreaming up. I saw this amazing ring jacket made from an antique crescent brooch on Jessica McCormack Diamonds' IG page (total eye candy if you haven't seen it yet).


I was immediately obsessed and started out searching for an antique crescent brooch. After finding about a million that were out of my price range, I finally purchased one from JbG last week. Here it is in all of its chunky goodness.

 

[ihy138]

I was thinking of making it a ring jacket to wear with a 1.57 OEC that I'm looking to have reset, similar to the inspiration picture. However, when I saw it oriented north-south, I didn't love it as much as I thought I would.


I absolutely love it oriented as a "C" and could see it turned into a ring just like that, but I really wanted to incorporate my OEC. Does anybody more creative than I am have advice? Perhaps I could still make it into a ring jacket somehow, but I think I would rather have the OEC off to the side (near the points of the crescent) rather than in the center.

 

[EvaEvans]

You know that the crescent moon and the star is the Islamic symbol?

 

[Bron357]

Hmmm, I’m thinking the size is a bit too big to work well as a ring. And it would be expensive to remodel.
How about a pendant?
I can see that brooch with small loops at each end on a chain (fixed)

 

[nala]

I don’t mean to be a party pooper but I’m not loving it. Or maybe I just can’t envision it
But maybe a bracelet? Like a cuff?

 

[BlingObsession]

I too am being a party pooper - I am having a bit of trouble with the idea of it as a ring. To be honest, I'm not loving the inspiration pics either. I really wonder at the practicality - I would really worry about catching those pointy bits and damaging the brooch or my finger. I do love the brooch - as a brooch or as a pendant would be my vote.

 

[ihy138]

Hmmm, I’m thinking the size is a bit too big to work well as a ring. And it would be expensive to remodel.
How about a pendant?
I can see that brooch with small loops at each end on a chain (fixed)

Hmm, you may be right on the size. Are you thinking the moon would be oriented like a U and have a chain on the points of the crescent? That would be interesting. I also have this really cool metal thing that converts brooches to pendants temporarily so you have the best of both worlds.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072M5XFY...t=&hvlocphy=9002151&hvtargid=pla-350576092043

 

[ihy138]

I don’t mean to be a party pooper but I’m not loving it. Or maybe I just can’t envision it
But maybe a bracelet? Like a cuff?

That's really okay! I appreciate your feedback. I think I was envisioning having my OEC set as a solitaire and have the moon as kind of a ring wrap to wear to spruce up the solitaire. Something like this (really, really bad mock-up coming your way):



Or even something like this ring:



with the OEC on the other side of the band:


It might be too big for that or just not look right.

I didn't even think of having it as a cuff, and I do need more bracelets. Were you thinking of it superimposed on a gold cuff, kind of like this?

https://jewelsbygrace.smugmug.com/Brooches-Bar-Pins-Bangle-Conve/250ctw-French-Art-Deco-Brooch/

 

[ihy138]

I too am being a party pooper - I am having a bit of trouble with the idea of it as a ring. To be honest, I'm not loving the inspiration pics either. I really wonder at the practicality - I would really worry about catching those pointy bits and damaging the brooch or my finger. I do love the brooch - as a brooch or as a pendant would be my vote.

Totally feel free to be a party pooper. Sometimes my ideas are just not able to be executed. I do love the inspiration, but I don't think it's something that I could mimic with the current brooch. Good point about risking damage to the brooch as well - I didn't really think of that. I am warming up to the idea of it being a pendant. Something like this perhaps:

 

[missy]

I love the idea of a pendant conversion. This would make a statement pendant. I love this brooch.

 

[ihy138]

I love the idea of a pendant conversion. This would make a statement pendant. I love this brooch.

Thanks for your feedback, Missy! I love it, too!! I don't know why I'm so inclined to make everything into a ring. My neck needs love, too!

 

[missy]

Thanks for your feedback, Missy! I love it, too!! I don't know why I'm so inclined to make everything into a ring. My neck needs love, too!

Haha I hear you. I have the same urge to do that and get more rings too but I don’t wear the ones I have. It’s our bling weak spot. We want it but will we really get to enjoy and wear it? That’s the question because there will always be more bling we love and want.

 

[meely]

I think the idea is really cool but I think it's significantly bigger than is practical to make it work. I love the necklace idea, that could look awesome. Especially if it was the first of a few converseion pieces that were layered

 

[tyty333]

I love the necklace idea too. Its a beautiful piece but I think its not practical for a ring conversion at its size.

 

[JmeeMrie]

I'm thinking the pendant idea looks gorgeous

 

[Lookinagain]

I like the pendant idea too. And I like the way you have the chain oriented on the brooch. It really does look to big to be made as a ring enhancer, IMO.

 

[arkieb1]

The stones in the original example are all a different size to yours so therefore the proportions don't work IMHO. It would look great as a pendant, if you want something funky you could get DK or someone to add something hanging inside the pin like a star cut coloured stone or something, or take it apart and use the stones in a ring, bracelet or something else.

 

[Amphoteric]

Hi all! I was hoping for your expert eyes and ideas for a ring conversion project that I've been dreaming up. I saw this amazing ring jacket made from an antique crescent brooch on Jessica McCormack Diamonds' IG page (total eye candy if you haven't seen it yet).


I was immediately obsessed and started out searching for an antique crescent brooch. After finding about a million that were out of my price range, I finally purchased one from JbG last week. Here it is in all of its chunky goodness.

I love this idea. I think you just need a smaller a crescent. When I saw that photo one Instagram I also fell I love with it. It's so Victorian supernaturalist.

Some ~$1000 and under other options:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/584940...8c123ab274a86e80a1a4661ab925e66bb2e:584940435

-smaller and you'd have some matching star earrings from the remaining components

https://www.etsy.com/listing/575298...y=antique diamond crescent&ref=sr_gallery-1-4

Another little one

https://www.rubylane.com/item/1683361-N209/Crescent-Necklace-Diamonds-14-KT-Adjustable?search=1

And another. Just some ideas!

 

[ihy138]

Oh my gosh, everyone! Thank you all so much for your feedback. For some reason I didn't see the notifications. My apologies for the delay.

I think the idea is really cool but I think it's significantly bigger than is practical to make it work. I love the necklace idea, that could look awesome. Especially if it was the first of a few converseion pieces that were layered

Ooooh! I love the layered look. That's such a great idea.

Thank you tyty, JmeeMrie, and lookingagain. I think you're right, this crescent isn't the right size for the project. I appreciate your feedback. I wanted it so bad to be a ring! Not meant to be.

The stones in the original example are all a different size to yours so therefore the proportions don't work IMHO. It would look great as a pendant, if you want something funky you could get DK or someone to add something hanging inside the pin like a star cut coloured stone or something, or take it apart and use the stones in a ring, bracelet or something else.

Thank you arkieb! I didn't think of adding anything to it - that's a cool idea. I don't think I would take it apart because it's such a beautiful piece. I am almost tempted to leave it as a brooch.

Now I have to decide whether to keep this and do something with it, or sell to find a crescent that would work as a ring.

 

[ihy138]

I love this idea. I think you just need a smaller a crescent. When I saw that photo one Instagram I also fell I love with it. It's so Victorian supernaturalist.

Some ~$1000 and under other options:

https://www.etsy.com/listing/584940435/antique-victorian-sapphire-ruby-diamond?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=antique diamond crescent&ref=sc_gallery-1-7&plkey=e58ee8c123ab274a86e80a1a4661ab925e66bb2e:584940435

-smaller and you'd have some matching star earrings from the remaining components

https://www.etsy.com/listing/575298846/victorian-diamond-crescent-moon-brooch?ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=antique diamond crescent&ref=sr_gallery-1-4

Another little one

https://www.rubylane.com/item/1683361-N209/Crescent-Necklace-Diamonds-14-KT-Adjustable?search=1

And another. Just some ideas!

I'm glad I wasn't the only one who fell in love with it! It's completely impractical, but that's sort of my style anyway.

Thank you so much for sending those options along! The crescent I have now is 24x22 mm, so I'm trying to figure out which proportions would work.

 

[Blingalingaling]

Here is Kyle Richards of the Real Housewives of Beverly Hills wearing her diamond Moon and Stars pendant. You could do something like this with the pin you bought!