During lockdown we had a few fun custom jobs we worked on. One of them was a ring remodel of an heirloom vintage 14ct gold ring with a beautiful diamond. Our client wanted to update the look to something more contemporary so it would suit her style more. We took some photos to document the process so she could share with her mother.
We always love to remodel old pieces, being able to breathe new life into a ring that has been gathering dust is such a joy. Jewels are meant to be worn and loved, so remodelling is a great choice for those rings that just aren't the right style anymore.
Here are some of the photos so you can see how we turned an old ring into something new!
First things first we cut the old ring up to remove the diamond.
Next we melted down the gold.
Then we pour out the nugget of gold.
This is how much gold we ended up with, in comparison to the diamond.
Next we rolled out the nugget into a rod, which is the most time consuming part of the whole process. We have to pass it through the roller multiple times, rolling it out thinner and thinner until we get the right thickness to create the ring shank.
Once we have the rod, I form it into the ring shank and solder it closed to form the band of the ring.
There are a few steps missing between the last photo and the next, because I was on my own I couldn't get photos of the ring being filed and sanded into a beautiful round shape. And I also forgot to photograph the basket, where the diamond sits ready to be set. This is the ring in it's finished state.
And this is the ring ready to be collected!
It's always fun to create a new ring with old materials, so get in touch if you have something you want to wear but never do!