Splash cuffs and mini bangles from Kristen Baird Jewelry; all photos courtesy Kristen Baird Jewelry.

JEWELRY ARTIST PODCAST Articles 4 min read

Jewelry Artist Podcast: Kristen Baird Forges New Connections

Splash cuffs and mini bangles from Kristen Baird Jewelry; all photos courtesy Kristen Baird Jewelry.
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In just a few short years, jewelry artist Kristen Baird has gone from launching her artisan jewelry business to running it as a successful entrepreneur.

ABOVE: Splash cuffs and mini bangles from Kristen Baird Jewelry; all photos courtesy Kristen Baird Jewelry.

Listen to Kristen Baird on Jewelry Artist Podcast

jewelry artist Kristen Baird
Kristen Baird

Join host Katie Hacker for her conversation with Kristen Baird on Jewelry Artist podcast. Listen below to hear how Kristen won a 2020 Red Backpack grant for $5,000 that she’s using to help grow her online business, including repurposing heirloom jewels. Read on to learn more about this specialty, and how she forges new connections for clients, literally and figuratively, through new pieces of jewelry laden with personal history and meaning.

Rethinking Heirlooms

By Kristen Baird

At Kristen Baird® Jewelry, I create many custom pieces for many reasons, but my favorite is deconstructing and reimagining heirloom jewelry. There is just so much romance to taking something already special and turning it into something magical! Many people feel an intense attachment to their heirloom jewelry, and I feel honored to work with them to respect what they hold so dear to their hearts.

Kristen Baird’s Deco Delight was created to repurpose several heirloom jewels.
Kristen Baird’s Deco Delight was created to repurpose several heirloom jewels.

Why Redesign an Heirloom?

Every heirloom has its own story, and every client has her or his own reasons for wanting to repurpose it. Several common scenarios are:

What a meaningful gift Deco Delight (above) is! It incorporates a mother’s oval sapphire ring from a beloved father, yellow gold from his wedding band, and diamonds from a grandmother's ring.
What a meaningful gift Deco Delight (above) is! It incorporates a mother’s oval sapphire ring from a beloved father, yellow gold from his wedding band, and diamonds from a grandmother’s ring.

Damage: Not all jewelry lasts forever, especially well-loved pieces crafted and set years ago. A band can crack, a stone can fall out, wear and tear happens. Most people come to me because they don’t want their jewelry simply repaired or recreated: they take this opportunity to create something new.

Early sketches for the Deco Delight necklace
Early sketches for the Deco Delight necklace

Don’t wear anymore: Not all styles and tastes last forever, either. Favorites lose their appeal over time; what was trendy 20 years ago is so out now. My clients come to me because they feel guilty for letting their priceless pieces just sit in a drawer.

Not your thing: Whether it was handed down by a family member or bought new as a gift, jewelry you didn’t select yourself may not be not your thing. People bring me their unwanted jewelry, and together, we turn it into something they love.

Later sketches for Deco Delight
Later sketches for Deco Delight

Divorce: Ah, the dreaded divorce scenario. Fortunately, I’ve never worked with any Bitter Bettys: every client in this situation sees the process as cathartic, a way to start fresh.

Pandemic Proof: #ThatQuarantineLife

We’ve all seen the strength of the heirloom redesign trend in the past few years, but lately it’s been skyrocketing. First we had the 2019 Marie Kondo craze with its related uptick in organizing and cleaning. Then this year’s Coronavirus and its shelter-in-place orders imposed lots more time at home. People are also looking to support local small businesses such as mine. Fortunately, my process is mostly digital and can be done remotely, making heirloom jewelry a huge contributor for us now.

Kristen Baird’s cluster style is ideal for incorporating multiple gems and letting each one shine. For this Diamond Dazzler 18K ring, she repurposed wedding diamonds and other heirloom jewels.
Kristen Baird’s cluster style is ideal for incorporating multiple gems and letting each one shine. For this Diamond Dazzler 18K ring, she repurposed wedding diamonds and other heirloom jewels.

Although I didn’t set things up this way to enable social distancing, that’s exactly what the process does. And while I’ve seen more redesigns coming my way due to Coronavirus, I think this trend is here to stay. People are becoming more intentional and more real, slowing down, appreciating the arts, and expressing gratitude. It’s completely refreshing.

Remote Repurposing Step by Step

Little did I know that by streamlining my entire system last year, I was also preparing for something we had no idea was coming. At the time it did feel strange to digitize in-person meetings, but look at us now!

Currently, my custom design process goes a little like this:

Commission: A client fills out and submits a commission inquiry form. This provides me with the initial details and helps set expectations for the custom piece. Although some questions may not seem relevant at first, trust me, everything has its place. Each little snapshot is part of the larger picture to help me with the design.

Consultation: Next, we’ll have a 15- to 30-minute consultation phone or Zoom video call. We’ll go over the scope of the project thoroughly, looking at such issues as design ideas, budget, and timeline. This is also the point where my clients get to ask questions of their own, and in turn, I ask lots more questions of them. Even little things that might seem insignificant can weave their way into a design that is so personal and special.

Contract, Design, and Estimate: Based on those discussions, I’ll draft a design. Then I present the client with a contract that outlines the specifics of their project, including the final design, estimated cost, and a completion timeline.

Even with the basic idea of a cluster of stones, there are many ways a design can go.
Even with the basic idea of a cluster of stones, there are many ways a design can go.

Deposit: We proceed next with a deposit and the signed contract. This is the business part of the project, and it’s very important to make sure that everyone is on the same page here.

In the Making: With business finished, the party can really start. This is when all the tools come out, complete with fire, hammers, and technical magic.

The Ta Da! Moment: Clients who’ve commissioned me not only receive a one-of-a-kind piece of jewelry, they also get documentation of their entire creation process. When I send the final product, I include a little presentation with my initial design, sketches, and photos of the work each step of the way. Later, I even post the sketches, photos, and a video on my website and share the build-up from idea all the way to the big reveal of the finished piece.

Inside the Zoom Calls

18K rings featuring blue, violet, and green sapphires with diamonds, in sets with 18K and diamond bands
18K rings featuring blue, violet, and green sapphires with diamonds, in sets with 18K and diamond bands

It’s been so much fun doing Zoom calls, creating and sharing Loom videos, along with even more phone calls and texts as we proceed. I’ve really been able to give my clients something to look forward to. As a designer, I’ve always worked with people from across the country, but now we do it all from home and in real time. I’ve enjoyed welcoming clients to my studio virtually, using my computer camera to give a behind-the-scenes tour of my private space, something I could never do previously. It’s a hit!

Kristen Baird’s suite of Ripple rings with oval cut gems
Kristen Baird’s suite of Ripple rings with oval cut gems

This whole process really underscores how we are all humans. We all have lives and families. It reinforces the idea that when people shop with us, they are directly impacting our future by spending their dollars with us. It’s raw, yet fresh.

To give these stones new life, Kristen Baird created a Confetti Cuff for her client.
To give these stones new life, Kristen Baird created a Confetti Cuff for her client.

Kristen Baird® Jewelry is an award-winning, fine jewelry brand nestled in historic Savannah, Georgia, that preserves traditional metalsmithing skills and uses sterling silver, recycled 18K gold, and ethically sourced gemstones. This post is adapted from her “Repurposing Heirlooms in the Time of Coronavirus.”

Merle White is Editor-in-Chief of Lapidary Journal Jewelry Artist.

More Ways to Bring Success to Your Jewelry Enterprise

Follow the development of a successful jewelry design with jewelry artists Layne Freedline, Helen Driggs, and Steven Ford, from concept to finished piece, and learn what success means to each of them. Learn to create a salable signature style of your own with entrepreneur, writer, speaker, and art business consultant Carolyn Edlund.

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