Old Heirlooms May Take New Forms in New Lives

Decades ago, when my grandma Minnie Farkas Schwartz left me a diamond-and-platinum cocktail ring in her will, she included a brief handwritten note that the setting was not to be changed. Grandma's wishIt was Grandma's wish that the ring remain as it was when she bequeathed it, for me to enjoy for years and then maybe my descendants to enjoy as well. Looking back, I really wish she had included a story about how she came to have that ring, but she didn't.I was kind of young at the time, and the ring didn't fit any of my fingers. Plus the ring looked old fashioned to my eyes. It sat in a safe deposit box for a while (remember safe deposit boxes?!).When I got older, the ring still didn't fit any fingers, and I didn't like the setting. So I brought it to a reputable jeweler, had two of the three small stones removed, and had them set in white gold earrings shaped like stars. I wore those beloved earrings for all kinds of special occasions and passed them down to my niece, who wore them…