Britt Caffarena, owner of Better Bling jewelry studio in Stafford, said she first fell in love with gems when she was gifted her birthstone, an aquamarine gem, at Christmas when she was a teen.

Her mother took her to the jewelry store to get the jewel set in a ring, she said. This was her first time designing a piece of jewelry, and it set her on the path to open her own jewelry store in October 2017.

“[At the jewelry store, I asked,] ‘How do you know what it is?’ And, ‘How do you know if it's real? How do you know what it's worth?’" Caffarena said. "And they were like, 'You have a lot of questions; you should go and be a gemologist.' So I told my parents, 'I want to be a gemologist.'”Why it matters

The heart behind Better Bling is taking old pieces of jewelry and reimagining them as a means to continue a legacy, Caffarena said.

This year, she revamped her grandmother’s “awkward” coral necklace, taking apart the pieces and adding oxblood coral to make simpler statement pieces for her sisters, nieces and cousins, she said.

“I can offer these opportunities to people to make something that’s special and unique,” Caffarena said. “Let's figure out what's the best use for it to make sure it's not just sitting in the dark somewhere. It's out and being enjoyed and worn, and it's creating new memories for new members of the family.”What else?

Staff at the jewelry studio will also clean jewelry, pierce ears, replace watch batteries, and appraise, redesign, engrave or trade items. Caffarena also submits wearable pieces in art shows, including the Sugar Land Arts Fest that took place in April.“That's why we [call it] Better Bling,” Caffarena said. “Because we want, every time anybody comes in, for them to leave blinging better.”

• 2813 N. Main St., Stafford
• www.sugarlandjewels.com