Reimagining Heirlooms: Lee’s Custom Moonstone & Diamond Stack

One of my favorite parts of my redesign work is helping clients breathe new life into their most meaningful pieces. I love helping them to transform what they already own (and cherish) into something they can’t wait to wear every day. Recently, I had the honor of working on such a project for one of our favorite TikTok and Instagram creators, Lee — who you may know as LeeLee on TikTok or @aestheticaleestyled and on Instagram, she’s @holisticskin_and_style

Lee has been part of the CMD family for years now. She began shopping with us a lot during the pandemic and quickly became one of our biggest organic advocates. I can’t tell you how many messages I’ve received from new customers saying, “I want the ring that LeeLee from TikTok wears!” (And can you blame them? She wears our pieces SO well!) Lee’s love for CMD doesn’t stop at rings either — she’s also known to rock our bracelets and earrings, and she’s been such an amazing supporter of designs like the Nova Ring Set, the Pipeline Ring, the Catalyst Ring, and the Libra Ring. She also dons the Element and Connector Bracelets on the regular.

When Lee reached out about creating something custom, I was over the moon (pun intended). She came to me with two beloved pieces: a sterling silver ring with a 10mm-wide moonstone set in a traditional 4-prong setting and a delicate white gold band with tiny diamonds. Both pieces had sentimental value, but she wanted a fresh, modern look that truly reflected her style. Lee shared that she never wears her old wedding set and her CMD rings have become a wedding ring replacement.
 

 
We started with the moonstone. Lee wanted to highlight it in a wide square ring — bold and modern, yet soft and wearable. I’ll be honest, we were a little wary at first. Moonstones are traditionally on the softer side, which is exactly why it was originally set in silver (a softer metal). But ultimately, that’s also why we decided to stay with sterling silver for the new piece — it’s a great match for the stone’s character.

We opted for a bezel setting — one of my personal favorites for a contemporary look for stones this size. I love the way a bezel can modernize a design, especially on square or rounded-square rings, and it provides a sleek, protective frame for the stone. Prongs just didn’t feel right for the clean and slightly edgy vibe we were after, and a flush setting wasn’t an option for a stone of this size. The final ring? A 10mm-wide, 1.5mm-thick sterling silver band with a matte finish — sturdy, elegant, and incredibly striking. Yowsah!

To complement this piece, we created a secondary band in 14k yellow gold, a 3mm-wide square ring with three sparkling diamonds on each face (very similar to our 2.5mm wide Zodiac Ring). These diamonds came from her original band, and we even returned her extra stones so nothing was lost in the process. The polished finish of the gold against the matte silver of the moonstone ring gives the stack a beautiful balance — understated yet full of character.
 

 
Lee now has two fresh rings to add to her stack that feels uniquely her — a true modern heirloom that honors the past while embracing her present style. She also shared her personal experience designing with me and over her socials (blush!). Watch that here. This might help you to understand the process from a client’s viewpoint if you are interested in working with me on a custom project.
 

 
Special design projects like this are truly my heart and soul. Whether you have heirloom stones tucked away in a drawer or a beloved piece that doesn’t feel quite like “you” anymore, I’d love to work with you to create something truly special.

You can book a custom consult with me (either in-person at The CMD Shop in Asbury Park, NJ or virtually from anywhere!) via my Calendly. I’ve just opened my schedule for August and added a couple of rare Saturday slots available on August 23rd (10am – 6pm). Weekends tend to be when many of you actually have time to breathe and dream a little — I’d love to share that space with you!

If you just have some questions about your project but you aren’t ready to move forward just yet, feel free to book a 15 minute complimentary phone consultation and we can chat.

Not ready to meet one-on-one? Come see me at The CMD Shop during Open Studio Hours on Saturday, August 16th from 11am – 4pm (no appointment needed!) to browse, try on jewelry, or build your Dream Stack in person.

And if you’re on TikTok, come hang out with us over there! We’ve only been on the platform for about a year, but the CMD community is growing fast — and I’m loving the positivity and connections we’re making. I was resistant at first, but now? I’m an official TikTok’er! Follow us, drop a comment, and say hi! I’d love to connect with you.

Let’s take your meaningful stones and give them a whole new life. It would be my absolute honor to work with you!
 

— Colleen