People: Shikha Lamba, the jewellery transformer!

Published 2 December 2014 ● Last Updated on 24 November 2016

Secondsguru.com is all about recyling, upcyling and reducing waste. Given this, we simply dig people who contribute towards this effort.

Our featured guest blogger, Shikha.S.Lamba is one such person.  Shikha is an entrepreneur, a mother, a jewellery designer and above all a transformer of old jewellery which often languishes in peoples cupboards. So if you have gemstones or baubles or just pieces of jewellery you do not know what to do with, reach out to her and she will spin her magic to make you and your jewels look like a million dollars. Her style reflects a fusion of old and new techniques combined with modern design elements and current trends.

Photo credit: Shikha S. Lamba

 

Revamping the jewels :By Shikha S. Lamba

Not long ago, I was asked by a client to “do something” with a piece of jewellery which she could not wear and which held enormous sentimental value for her. This was a one side of a pair of old “jhumka” earrings belonging to her great-grandmother. I almost immediately found myself seeing a beautiful necklace with the earring hanging in the center like a tassel.

And so, the “jhumka” necklace, with citrines, yellow chalcedony and gold plated beads was born.

Recycling, revamping or re-inventing of jewellery has become one of my biggest requests from clients in the past couple of years. People who are bored of wearing the same thing, or were gifted something that just wasn’t their style.

The most popular jewellery item to recycle or revamp are gem stone strings. We all have plenty lying around and most of us have never worn ours. With trends in necklaces changing and people experimenting more with different lengths and styles, strings have become very popular in the “do over” category.

With many people now having a preference for long necklaces, I have been combining different gemstone strings with jade pieces or filigree pendants to change the look around, sometimes even incorporating the matching earrings into the neckpiece.

Another very popular revamp is making baby earrings grow as the baby grows. Many of us who have daughters with pierced ears from an early age will have a large collection of earrings by the time the little one is 5 years old. Unfortunately unless there are more little girls in the family that one can pass these small earrings to, these pieces cannot be worn for too many years. Adding additional gemstones or additional diamonds around the existing piece is a good way of making it larger and more appropriate for wear, for your child as she grows older.

One reason why revamping is such a good idea is that it is more economical than buying a new piece of jewellery. Using the existing framework of a certain piece, you can make it new and exciting by simply adding a little to it. Or you can melt the metal and use the stones and design something completely different.

Women, especially in countries like India, where wedding jewellery is quite big and elaborate, have gone as far as taking apart their wedding sets, in order to create more wearable pieces.

Shopping for something new is always fun, but to see the transformation of something old into something new and different is also quite exciting. It’s good to be able to have the option to change, recycle and revamp.

Like with other things in life, a good change is always welcome!!

–Shikha

Shikha is currently based in Hong Kong where she runs her online jewellery business (www.shikhaslamba.com) and has clients all over the world. For the revamping/upcycling of old jewellery she usually meets her clients by appointment. So if you are planning a trip to Hong Kong anytime soon, start collecting your baubles/ jewels right away!