Do you have some hand-me down or heirloom jewelry that hits all the high notes in terms of value, but doesn’t suit your sense of style? Consider remodelling your old jewelry, taking it from drab and dated to fab and rated. Especially since the price of gold has increased in recent years, recycling your inherited or unused jewelry can modernise and increase the value of your jewelry box pieces.
What is jewelry remodelling?
Jewelry remodelling is the process of giving your existing jewelry new life and glimmer, allowing you to create “new” and trendy jewelery at an affordable cost. Almost any items can be remodelled, including bracelets, rings, earrings, pendants, necklaces, or brooches.
Why would I remodel my jewelry?
Remodelling your old jewelry can be done for a number of personal reasons. For example, you may have inherited some of your great-aunt Betty’s brooches that are studded with valuable gems and jewels, but are no longer fashionable. If this is the case, you can use the same jewels, but transform them to a different setting to create a new, modern jewelry piece to your taste. The jewels may be recycled, but the look is an entirely fresh and new one. In the same token, you may have been given a gist that you don’t particularly like, or you may have some jewelry items you bought yourself that are now outdated.
If you’ve been left sour in divorce, but been left with the jewels of happier times, you can take advantage of the money spent on you to create a new jewel identity for yourself and create a new valuable piece that signifies your new beginning.
If you lose or gain weight and your jewelry becomes too big or too small you can take the opportunity to not only resize, but remodel your existing pieces while they are going under the knife at the “jewelry doctor”.
How can I get my jewels remodelled?
Remodelling is done by a professional jeweller. Look for a jeweller who has had experience in remodelling jewelry items as they can give you valuable suggestions and are sure to produce high quality craftsmanship. Like a surgeon, the jeweller will be able to take the gemstones or jewels from the settings and transplant them in a completely new look. You can sell the old gold or silver settings to a gold or silver dealer, and with the money from this sale you can reset the jewels in the setting that you like. Depending on how much gold or silver you have to sell, you may have to pay in a little more to have your jewels reset, but if you are downsizing (such as from a chunky necklace to a ring), you may even come out with some profit.
If your jeweller is comfortable doing it, he or she can also melt down the metal from the original setting for themself and use it to make new jewelry you can wear with pride.
Custom jewelry may sound like something only the rich and famous can afford, but the good news is that by remodelling your old jewelry, you won’t have to cut off your own crown jewels to be able to create the exact jewelry piece you dream of. Creating a new jewelry piece from an existing item is an exciting process as you can choose almost exactly how you want the new piece to look. If you don’t have a particular idea in mind, have a look around at different jewelry stores or consult a jeweller or jewelry designer to get ideas. Remember, there may be limitations to what designs will suit your gems or jewels so ask the advice of the jewelry remodeller before you set your sights on a particular design.
Who knows, you may even make a hobby of jewelry design and start digging in the jewelry boxes of friends and family to see what you can make of their valuable items!