I recently inherited my grandmother's vintage diamond pendant. Since it is a bit outdated I was thinking of resetting the stones into earrings or perhaps a necklace and giving them to my wife as a Christmas present. Is it tacky to use inherited diamonds?

I seriously don't understand why you'll have the idea that resetting inherited diamonds is a tacky thing to do. All you're doing is putting your inherited diamonds to use by making them more appealing to your wife's taste. There's nothing wrong with that. However, having said that, inherited jewelry is best kept untouched, not only due to sentimental reasons, but also in terms of the jewelry's price and value. As you are probably well aware of this, vintage jewelry becomes more and more valuable as years go by (just like any antique item). Personally, if your grandmother's diamond pendant is still intact I don't see the reason to mess with it and remove its stones. If I were you, I would keep your grandmother's vintage diamond pendant alone and buy my wife a brand new diamond jewelry necklace as a present instead.

• 10
• 9

It's not at all tacky. It could make for quite a sentimental gift if done properly. If the diamonds are of high quality I don't see why you shouldn't have them reset into a diamond necklace, diamond earrings, diamond rings or even a diamond brooch. Just make sure that the setting you choose is to your wife's liking and that the metal you choose for the diamond  jewelry fits in with your wife's appearance and personal style.

• 9
• 7

It isn't at all tacky! I think your wife might actually like the idea of wearing your grandmother's old diamonds. Before you have the diamonds removed and re-set, ask your wife if she would prefer to wear the vintage diamond pendant as is. She may like the vintage, antique look of the jewelry. If not, then I suggest you take the diamond pendant to a reputable jeweler or jewelry designer and ask them to help you design your new jewelry items. By the way, you could not only use the precious gemstones set into the pendant, but you could also use the pendant's old metal. Vintage metal can easily be re-cast into new pieces. However, you should expect some material loss when melting down old metals, since any impurities present within the metal's structure have to be removed before the alloy is melted down. However, using old metal will still be more cost efficient than using entirely new metals and materials in your jewelry. Having jewelry custom made for you can be a little costly, but the result can be quite stunning. Nowadays, re-cast, periodical jewelry (such as Edwardian jewelry, Victorian jewelry, Art Deco jewelry, etc.) is considered to be a great fashion accessory.

• 6
• 10