Reusing, Repurposing, and Remodelling Your Old Gold Jewellery with Debra
Giving new life to old jewellery is an intricate process.
We wish it were as simple as melting down your old gold and turning it into something new, but it’s a bit more complex than that.
While many jewellers melt your gold as-is, our experience has shown that this method often leads to disappointing results, such as pitting, blemishes, or brittleness. This happens because most gold jewellery is mixed with various alloys, and without expensive metal analysis, it’s impossible to know exactly what’s in your old gold.
At our studio, we take a different approach. Before creating your new piece, we send your gold to be refined, removing any impurities and returning it to us as pure gold granules, ready to be cast into something beautiful. This ensures that your new jewellery meets our high standards of quality and craftsmanship.
However, please keep in mind that during this refining process, you may lose up to 50% of the gold’s original weight. Additionally, many old gold pieces we view are lighter in weight, when compared to our custom-made work, so usually we need to add more new gold to the mix.
If you’re considering remodelling as a cost-saving option, it’s important to know that the process can be more time-consuming and labour-intensive than creating a new piece from scratch. Removing stones and preparing the gold can take many hours, much like a dressmaker piecing together a new garment from old fabric scraps.
Is it worth it? Absolutely! By remodelling, you preserve the sentiment and memories associated with your original pieces, transforming them into something new and wearable.
Debra is renowned worldwide for her skill and expertise in this area. Her remodelling gallery showcases incredible before-and-after transformations.
If You’d Like a Different Gold Color: We can mix different alloys with your refined gold to achieve your desired gold colour.
Remodelling Sterling Silver Jewellery: Unfortunately, we can’t reuse sterling silver, as it’s not economically viable.
Reusing Your Gems: We can reuse your gemstones if they are of decent quality. However, low-grade or poorly cut gems may be challenging to reset. We’ll inspect them closely and let you know if they’re suitable for reuse. We can also add new gems to your design if needed.
Please note that working with your gems is at your own risk, and we’ll ask you to sign a contract before we begin.
Costs: The minimum fee for a gold remodel starts at $3,900. Some customers may choose to credit their old gold and remake the piece in sterling silver, which is less costly.
Interested in Remodelling?
We’ll provide a ballpark estimate, but a final quote requires a close inspection of your old jewellery. Debra will also send a remodeling contract for you to sign before we start.
While most of the work is done in-house, we may occasionally send out gems to be set by a specialist if they have a challenging cut. We recommend getting your new jewellery independently valued for insurance purposes, as we do not offer valuations.
Due to high demand, please allow up to 3 months for completion. If you decide not to proceed with the remodel, you have 6 months to pick up your old jewellery; otherwise, we reserve the right to dispose of it.
