From personal piece to heirloom
For jewelry designer Kristine Dee, the idea of an heirloom begins with her mother, Elizabeth Dee, who collected jewelry over the years and eventually passed some of it down to her daughters. One piece marked a business deal Elizabeth had worked hard to close. She bought it for herself, giving a professional achievement a small, wearable reminder.
Eventually, she gave some of her jewelry pieces to her daughters. “It is not just the piece that she shared, but the story that comes with it,” Kristine says.
It is a lovely thought to bring along when choosing jewelry for yourself. The ring you buy after a promotion or the necklace you reach for most mornings may eventually become familiar to someone else: a daughter who remembers you wearing it, a niece who always admired it.
Before that happens, though, you get to enjoy it.
Asked what to consider first when buying jewelry, Kristine gives a refreshingly personal answer: how much you love it, and how you feel wearing it.
How it looks on the wearer matters, too. Does it suit you? Do you feel good in it? Can you imagine reaching for it again?
These are useful questions when a purchase feels significant enough to require a little deliberation. Thinking about longevity need not mean setting aside your own taste.
Choose a classic with some personality
Kristine and her mother are the muses for Modern Heirloom—one of three capsules in her collection, The Woman Within. The other two, Quiet Strength and Playful Femininity, explore architectural forms and softer, more colorful designs, respectively.
For Modern Heirloom, she describes her approach as “classic with a twist.” Familiar materials leave room for unexpected combinations and details that make a piece recognizably hers.
In the collection, Ceylon sapphires appear alongside tsavorites and diamonds, while other necklaces bring together multicolored sapphires. A pearl necklace has a detachable kunzite centerpiece—allowing the wearer to adjust it for different occasions.
That flexibility makes sense for jewelry intended to accompany someone for years. A piece may have to work with changing wardrobes, different occasions, and eventually another person’s way of dressing.
Still, choosing a possible heirloom does not require predicting someone else’s taste decades from now. Kristine’s emphasis on loving the piece yourself offers a more immediate place to start. After all, your preferences are part of the history it may one day carry.
Build a collection gradually
For someone beginning a jewelry collection, she suggests a chain. It can add an accent on its own and become the foundation for something more personal.
Charms can follow: an initial, a birthstone, or something connected to a birthday or anniversary. The collection grows as occasions arise and you find pieces you want to keep.
There is something reassuring about that approach. You do not need to assemble a complete jewelry wardrobe in one shopping trip, or know immediately which pieces will become your signatures. Wearing what you own helps you understand what you enjoy: whether you prefer a necklace you can leave on through the workday or a ring that feels satisfying every time you look down at your hand.
It also leaves space for your taste to develop. A simple starting piece can sit comfortably beside a more expressive purchase later.
Ask about what you are buying
Once a piece catches your attention, Kristine encourages asking the jeweler questions: Is it handmade or machine-made? Are the stones natural or lab-grown? What’s the origin of the gemstones?
For diamonds, she suggests asking about color and clarity as well. These conversations help you understand the piece beyond its appearance and give you a clearer sense of what you are paying for.
For jewelry intended to last for generations, Kristine points to soldered pieces. Construction deserves attention alongside the stones and design, particularly for something you expect to wear frequently.
A useful next step is to discuss how the piece will fit your routine. Ask about maintenance, repairs, and whether resizing or other adjustments are possible. Kristine’s own practice includes bespoke work and the reworking of heirloom jewelry, allowing existing pieces to find new forms.
The aim is to leave with a purchase you understand and know how to look after.
Make room for everyday wear
Kristine designs much of her fine jewelry with regular wear in mind. In The Woman Within, statement necklaces are imagined with tank tops and jeans as readily as with dresses or suits. Rings and cuffs can be worn individually or layered.
“The best way to style fine jewelry for a woman is based on her lifestyle and personality,” she says, so that she can reach for it comfortably and confidently.
That is worth considering before buying something you might otherwise reserve for a handful of occasions. How would you wear it with the clothes already in your wardrobe? Would you enjoy putting it on for an ordinary lunch or a day at work?
The jewelry someone remembers you by may be the chain you wore to work every day or the ring that appeared in every family photograph. Years of wear give those pieces associations that the person buying them could never have planned.
You cannot know which pieces someone will treasure one day. But you can choose what feels like you, wear it often, and care for it well. If it eventually becomes an heirloom, part of what you pass on will be the memory of you wearing it.
