“With proper care diamonds can be recycled infinitely because of their extreme durability.“

When Alex Klaes and Emily Hill launched their jewelry brand from a Charleston living room in 2015, they didn’t have a business plan. They followed a path that started with shared travel, a jewelry apprenticeship in Australia, and a return to South Carolina when their visas expired. “There was very little thought given to where we were creating the brand,” Emily says. “Charleston was only meant to be a stop on our journey. It’s been over 10 years since.”

That return led to AL&EM, a jewelry studio built around one idea: that fine jewelry doesn’t have to start from scratch. They recycle gold, upcycle heirlooms, and show what sustainable design looks like in practice.

Old Gold and Heirlooms Reborn Into Custom Pieces

According to Emily, the couple’s nomadic lifestyle at the beginning of their relationship informed their business idea. “I was getting creative with my style,” says Emily, describing how she’d borrow Alex’s shirts and rock them as dresses or share the same neck scarf. “We shared so much of the same aesthetic,” she says.

Alex began learning to work with metals and precious stones in Australia, where he had an opal mine and jewelry apprenticeship. “When we returned home with a new, giddy love, it only made sense to build something creative together,” says Emily.

Initially, the couple started making and selling jewelry out of their apartment living room. “In those early days, our relationships with our clients were the foundation of our business, because we literally had nothing else,” says Alex.

Today, they work one-on-one with clients, starting the process by reviewing materials the customer already owns. The studio specializes in repurposing heirloom gold, resetting old diamonds, and creating modern pieces from sentimental items. Alex explains that gold often holds emotional weight, especially when passed down. “When a client brings in a sentimental piece, usually a piece that a loved one wore, it makes more sense to repurpose or rework that gold rather than melting it down.”

They turn rings into pendants and broken heirlooms into new earrings. Any unused gold gets refined through a professional facility, and clients receive the metal’s value as credit toward their new piece. “They are spending that precious metal credit with us, so we don’t need to make a margin off it, which means they get a really good price on their precious metals,” Alex says.

Jewelry, unlike most consumer products, lends itself to reuse. Alex points out that the materials have intrinsic value, so the incentive to recycle is built in. “We are lucky to work in an industry that can be incredibly sustainable,” he says. “Precious metals are recyclable and precious gemstones that are properly cared for can be reused.”

Why Diamonds Are the Ultimate Heirloom

For custom builds, they use refined metals from trusted sources to match the client’s requested alloy and karat. Diamonds are either brought in by the customer or sourced through the studio’s network. “One of the things we love about diamonds is that they are strong enough to be set into jewelry, worn a lifetime, and then removed unscathed, ready to be used again,” Alex says.

Their style leans toward clean lines and understated design, but the intent isn’t to chase a particular look. “For us, minimalism is not an aesthetic of less, but an aesthetic of what is necessary,” Alex says. “Each client’s unique needs become the blueprint for their design.”

Much of their design knowledge comes from studying how older jewelry has aged over time. “We take inspiration from history in our work by studying the past to better inform the future,” he adds. They see what breaks, what holds, and what patinas with grace. These details inform every design decision.

Building Community in Charleston

Charleston’s influence shows up more in relationships than in design motifs. “Watching friends be able to start a new business or watching city folk see the same charm in Charleston as we do brings joy,” Emily says. “All of our friends are deeply involved in the art community here, and that has definitely kept us here longer.” She adds, “Every client we have wants to know our why and our story. And we want to know the same of our neighbors.”

AL&EM doesn’t carry inventory or sell mass-produced jewelry. They take a limited number of projects at a time and give each one full attention. “Our prices aren’t cheap, but our customers aren’t looking for something cheap,” Alex says. “They come to us because they want something valuable.”

Emily starts most projects by asking questions unrelated to jewelry. Favorite restaurants, travel habits, what someone wears when they’re not working—these clues help shape the design process. “It really helps us learn what directs you in this life,” she says. That kind of research becomes even more important when one partner is designing a ring for the other.

The duo works at their own pace, blending physical craftsmanship with creative focus. “It’s not easy to make something special,” Alex says. “Our clients see and value that.”

To work with AL&EM, schedule a private appointment. The process begins with a conversation.

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