What Can Old Jewellery Become?
Almost any inherited jewellery with good stones or solid metal can be reworked. A few of the most popular ideas:
- A diamond from an old engagement ring reset as a solitaire pendant
- Two similar stones from different pieces made into a pair of stud earrings
- Several small family stones gathered into one ring, such as a cluster or a half eternity band
- The stones from an old brooch reset into a ring or a pair of earrings
- A single earring turned into a pendant
- One heirloom divided into matching pieces for brothers and sisters
- An inherited diamond given a modern setting in platinum or white gold
- Gold from several unworn pieces made into a new band or signet ring
If you want to redesign old jewellery but aren't sure what would work, bring the pieces in. It is often easier to picture the options with the stones on the counter in front of you.
How Our Jewellery Redesign Service Works
Show us what you have.
Bring your jewellery into the shop, or email photos first to sales@goldcentrefulham.com. Tell us which parts you want to keep, what you like to wear and roughly what you would like to spend.
We check the condition.
Before anything is taken apart, we look closely at the stones and settings and point out any chips, wear or weak spots. Old jewellery sometimes hides damage, and you should know about it before you decide.
Design and price.
We sketch ideas, agree the metal, stones and finish, and give you a price. Nothing is dismantled or made until you have approved both.
Making the new piece.
The stones are carefully removed from their old settings and the new piece is made and finished by hand in our workshop.
Collection.
You try it on in the shop, and we make any small adjustments to the fit there and then.
Can You Reuse My Old Gold?
Often, yes. It is worth knowing a few things before you decide, because reusing gold is not always as straightforward as people expect.
- Different carats don't mix neatly. Melting 9ct and 18ct gold together gives you a metal somewhere in between. It won't be either carat, and the colour can come out slightly different.
- Old gold carries its history. Years of repairs leave solder behind, and impurities can cause tiny holes, called porosity, to appear when the re-cast metal is polished.
- It doesn't make the work cheap. Most of the cost of a redesign is design time and skilled labour, not the metal.
- The original hallmark is lost. Melting gold removes it. If a hallmark matters to you, for insurance or a future sale, ask us about having the finished piece hallmarked.
If your gold is not suitable for the new design, we will explain why and talk you through using new metal for the setting while keeping your stones.
Taking Care of Your Stones
Diamonds are extremely hard, but they can still chip along their thin edges, and older diamonds are often cut differently to modern ones. Stones cut before the 1930s, such as old mine and old European cuts, tend to be deeper, with a different outline. The new setting has to be made around the stone, not the other way round. Softer and more delicate gems need extra care. Emeralds, opals, pearls and turquoise can be damaged by heat, so they must be taken out before any soldering is done. Where there is any risk to a stone, we will tell you before we start and agree how to handle it.
How Much Does Jewellery Redesign Cost?
Every redesign is priced individually, because the work involved varies so much. The main things that affect the price are:
- How complex the design is and how many hours of skilled work it needs
- How much new metal is required, and whether it is 9ct gold, 18ct gold or platinum
- Whether any new stones need to be added
- How many stones need setting, since each one is set by hand
- Extras such as engraving or hallmarking
It is worth being realistic. Sometimes a redesigned piece costs more than a similar new piece bought off the shelf. People go ahead anyway because the stones carry a family story, and that is a perfectly good reason. If a simpler change would get you most of the way there, such as a new chain for an old pendant or a resize for a ring you already love, we will tell you.
Redesign, Restore or Repair?
Not every old piece should be remodelled. If a ring or brooch is a good example of its period, or carries a maker's mark or an early hallmark, it may be worth more as it is. In that case, a careful restoration is often the better choice. Heirloom jewellery deserves a proper look before anything is melted down, and we are happy to give you an honest view. If you love the piece but it is damaged, our jewellery repairs service can resize, re-tip and restore it. If you love the stones but not the setting, redesign is the answer. And if you would prefer to start from a blank sheet of paper, have a look at our bespoke jewellery service.
Jewellery Redesign in London, Without the Trip to Hatton Garden
Hatton Garden is London's best-known jewellery quarter, but it is a long way to go from the south-west of the city with a box of family heirlooms. Our shop is at 393 North End Road, Fulham, SW6 1NR, a short walk from Fulham Broadway station. Customers come to us for jewellery remodelling in London from Fulham, Chelsea, Parsons Green, Putney, Hammersmith, Wandsworth and West Kensington.
We are open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5:30pm and on Saturday from 9am to 6pm. Call us on 020 7381 3411 if you would like us to set time aside to go through your pieces.
Frequently Asked Questions
