Remodelling a pair of vintage Mugal Indian earrings
BEFORE: The vintage earrings, featuring tourmalines and Polki diamonds set in gold with Meenakari enamelling on the back.
The projectRemodel a pair of vintage Mugal Indian Earrings with Polki Diamonds, Tourmalines and Meenakari Enamelling
An essential part of an Indian or Pakistani bride’s trousseau is her jewellery. So when my client, Z, brought me her grandmother’s dowry earrings for remodelling, I was not only taken aback by the beauty and craftsmanship of these earrings, but I also felt incredibly honoured to be entrusted with such a precious heirloom.
As a Wimbledon, London-based jewellery designer, I have worked with a considerable amount of heirloom jewellery, but nothing quite like this before.
She was not sure of the exact date they were given to her grandmother, but she was fairly certain they were part of her dowry. We believe they might be from the late 19th or early 20th century. In any case, the quality was outstanding.
The earrings were made in the traditional Mughal style. The backs of the earrings are strikingly decorated with classic meenakari enamel in opaque white and translucent green and red, with small accents in a rich shade of blue. Even the sides of the earrings feature a vibrant green enamel.
Unfortunately, they were not practical for her, so we decided to remodel them into four separate pieces. I use the word "remodeling" with hesitation, as it was really more of a separation project with a sprinkle of modernizing.
The briefTurning Vintage Indian Mughal Earrings into Wearable, Modern Jewellery
From her perspective, I could appreciate that the earrings were very long, sweeping down to her shoulders, and extremely heavy. There’s nothing worse than wearing a pair of earrings so heavy that they pull on your earlobes, so I understood her concern.
She wanted to convert them into something more wearable and modernise them with rose gold. I was very hesitant about the modernising aspect of this brief. Modernising Mughal jewellery is not something I take lightly, as it would mean completely altering this incredible craftsmanship. So, we compromised with a bit of separation and some modernisation.
The ApproachStay in the Lane: Keeping in Line with Tradition
My client wasn’t as enthusiastic about the Meenakari enamelling as I was—perhaps she was quite used to seeing it before. However, as a jeweller, I understand that this type of enamelling technique is not only difficult to master but also challenging to remove. Additionally, we had no idea what we might find beneath the enamel. After much deliberation and research, I decided to leave the back of the earrings exactly as it was, and my client came to appreciate the beauty and craftsmanship involved.
I separated the main pieces, using the top of the earrings to create one cocktail ring and one pendant, the middle section to make one set of diamond earrings, and the bottom section to make another pair of earrings—four pieces in total. I kept the ring and pendant as close to the original design as possible but took slightly more creative liberties with the earrings.
AFTER: The 4 separate pieces made from the earrings: 2 pairs of earrings, a ring and a pendant.
The Results:Four Pieces of Jewellery Made from One Pair of Vintage Indian Earrings
The ring and pendant were relatively straightforward to create. It was simply a matter of separating them, removing the back, cleaning them, and then laser soldering a gold shank to the ring and a gold bail onto the pendant.
This approach allowed them to remain as close as possible to the original while still standing out as striking pieces on their own.
The middle earrings were a bit trickier, as they needed a top piece to support the earrings. Taking inspiration from the original design, I created a small fan shape to hold the post, allowing the rest of the earring to hang gracefully. I crafted these by melting the gold backs of the original earrings and reusing their posts.
Front and back views: The new diamond earrings, keeping the original enamelled back.
The bottom pieces were transformed by removing some of the intricate details from the cabochon tourmaline drops to give the design a sleeker appearance. I also plated them in 18-carat rose gold, giving them a completely different look. Additionally, I added a top piece from which to hang the earrings, resembling a drop with a bit of depth to add interest.
The tourmaline and diamond earrings with a rose gold plating.
“I absolutely love them all, thank you!”
With over twenty years of experience in jewellery making and design, I can confidently say that I have a clear understanding of what truly matters: it’s the story and sentiment that make jewellery meaningful.
It is a true privilege to help my clients reinvent their heirlooms. Working on recreating such precious pieces, and feeling the weight of the emotion they carry, reminds me why I fell in love with jewellery in the first place. A piece of jewellery can hold countless memories and help us feel connected to loved ones in subtle but very special ways.
Militza Ortiz
Wimbledon based jeweller with 20 years experience.
I envision and hand create future heirlooms.
