This ring was formally worn by jazz master Burd “Buzz” Renn who played amazing alto sax and clarinet on The Dynamic Sound Patterns of The Rod Levitt Orchestra released in 1964. When his daughter Kelly visited Stephen Kris Designs studio she shared so many heartwarming memories about her dad and the connection they had. Her hope was to have her dad’s ring resized so she could wear it as her wedding ring. The ring was originally given to her dad by her mother. This ring was well loved and I could just feel it had so many stories to tell from many years on the road. I knew this treasure needed to be completely restored for its new place in Kelly’s life.
After removing the crisp blue star sapphire from it’s setting, I cut the band which allowed me access to use repousse techniques to gently hammer the dents from the inside of the ring and planish the outside surface so it was once again smooth. Next, I sleeved the hollow ring to size with white gold to give it integrity, soldered it in place, and contoured the sleeve to match the profile of the original ring. Once the ring was polished, I re-set the star sapphire and the ring was complete. Here’s to you Buzz!

#Buzz Renn #The Rod Levitt Orchestra #Stephen Kris Designs