Since the earliest days of the discovery of gold, this rare earth mineral has captivated people. The Egyptians learned the art of making exquisite items with it, dating back to 3100 BCC, and even now, in 2025, we are still excavating. Those ancient Egyptian relics are still precious, not only from a gold standpoint but an antiquity standpoint as well. It would be amazing to know what these rarities would bring in today's marketplace. I learned to chart gold from my father, who taught me how to read graphs and their importance at a very early age. Being in the USAF, graphs and charts were a part of his daily life, and thanks to him, I feel I have become somewhat of an expert in predicting precious metals.
There is no graph in the world that can define intuition, which brings me to a beautiful story of a grandmother's love that will always transcend time and a lifelong gift that can be passed as heirlooms from one generation to the next. A dear friend commissioned me to make diamond crosses for her three grandsons and granddaughter. These crosses had to be very unique, special, and one of a kind, with the caveat that the mold be broken after final approval and making of the product.
As the grandsons are tall and athletically built young men, the necklaces needed to be 36” long, very solid, heavy rope. I studied my gold chart graphs looking to obtain the best possible prices. My friend said, “Just go ahead and order them.” At that time, gold was around $1,820 per ounce. I explained that I was trying to save her money since the necklaces were so heavy and long. She repeated, “Just order them.”
The next morning, I begrudgingly ordered her four magnificent, solid rope gold necklaces, believing based on prior experience and graphing charts that I could get a better price. Surely my four decades of experience would come into play. Fast forward to October 2025, and gold rose to $4,300 per ounce. Not only had her custom-made diamond crosses more than doubled in value but so had the necklaces. Some may call that luck, I call it divine intervention.
Gold remains one of the rarest and precious of all metals. If you take a $5,000 suit, bury it and dig it up in a year, you’ll have rags. Whereas if you bury gold and dig it up in a year, you still have a precious commodity. My friend, with her keen intuition, accomplished a rarity of lifelong treasures to be passed down from one generation to the next. Her four grandchildren have been fostered to appreciate and take care of gifts from the heart. When passed on will they be to the delight of their heirs, or will they be recrafted into something more to their liking? Adaptability is part of the rare beauty of a precious malleable metal.
These days, technology changes in the blink of an eye, and tools used to craft jewelry are no different. What could have taken months to custom-make years ago now takes substantially less time with new tools, dyes, and the sophistication of learning from master jewelers. I enjoy the privilege of helping people who bring in jewelry passed down to them that is not to their liking, by working my magic to craft it into a spectacular, beloved piece.
Dawne Hudson, a beloved retired schoolteacher in Brunswick, shares this testimonial: “Noble House Jeweler, Zoe Herrington, has a vision for recrafting old, dated pieces to make them sparkle again. She has redone so many pieces for me that get a lot of attention. When I explain that it’s the same diamond in a different setting, no one can believe it. Most recently, she had a diamond D made for me that gets compliments each time I wear it. My signature piece is a diamond Byzantine cross that everyone asks about. She has an eye and great imagination for giving new life to old pieces.”
Lorraine, another blonde beauty living in Brunswick, but originally from England, sauntered into my store like only a British Rose could. Lorraine came in to shop for wedding gifts, and we began talking about my mother being from Britain. The fashion of the British wedding band started over seventy years ago and is what we now call an eternity ring. Lorraine's mother, Norma Smith, was born in Birmingham, England, in 1941, while her father served in the war. Norma asked to be given her mother’s ring when she passed, and Lorraine’s grandfather made sure that promise was kept. In October 2024, this rare piece of history was bequeathed to Lorraine.
I had the honor and privilege to inspect this beautiful diamond ring and found that almost all of the prongs had been completely worn down. After seeing the peril her precious ring was in, Lorraine ever so gently asked, “Can this be repaired with all the years of wear?” My smile may have lit up my entire store. My true love and specialty: transforming a lovely and treasured piece of family history back to its original beauty, if not better.
After my master jeweler worked magic, this became an elegant ring with near-perfect diamonds. Looking at this ring, an average person would never appreciate the beauty within. It has been said that diamonds collect the energy and vibrations of the person wearing them. What a lovely heirloom to be passed down to the next lucky recipient. If you have abandoned or overlooked treasures, which I refer to as “sleeping beauties,” schedule an appointment at Noble House Jewelry, where the magic is not a fantasy, but real.
Noble House Jewelers | 1700 Frederica Road, Suite 105 | St. Simons Island, GA | 912.434.9161 | noblehousejewelry.com
Over 4 Decades of Serving Kansas City Superstore | 11620 Metcal Avenue | Rosana Square Shopping Center | 913.461.0539
By Zoe Herrington, Founder of Noble House Jewelers
