When it is Broke, Reuse and Upcycle It

by Liz Juneau.
(Savannah, GA)

The red glass in one of these earrings was broken off

I have been on an upcycling kick.

It helps to have generous friends to give me their treasures and castoffs – broken or rarely worn jewelry.

Urban Cowgirl Necklace

It gets my creative juices flowing on how to decide to use them.

Sometimes I take them apart and rework them into a new design.

I did this recently with a friend’s deceased mother-in-law’s glass pearl three strand necklace.

Since she never wore them but did not want to part with it due to sentimentality, I designed a three strand bracelet and used the striking green clasp as the focal bead.

Other times, I cut off the broken parts and then use additional components to make something new and wearable.

Red Shark Earrings

One of these sterling and glass earrings was broken at the bottom.

I cut the off the glass below the metal and added the shark vertebrae that I had in my collection of oddities.

The turquoise and sterling ring had barely any shank attached.

The shank on this ring was broken and missing

So I removed what was remaining and then attached it to the howlite.

I am pleased that these jewelry parts did not stay in a box or get tossed away and I was able to give them a new life!

Liz Juneau
Archipelago Jewelry by Liz Juneau
Archipelago Jewelry on Facebook