Reusing Old Gold To Make A New Wedding Ring

SPECIAL NOTE: Right now, in November of 2024, gold is surging to all-time highs. Yet our specialty in the custom redesign of old jewelry by repurposing your inherited or old gold and gems. By working with us, you'll not only be able to honor your loved one's memory — but you'll save considerably on cost, too!

Classic comfort fit wedding rings, pavé halo settings, converting a ring into a necklace — you name it, and we can do it. Plus, you’ll work with an awesome small artisan studio established in 1995, all for a very fair price.  

Call me at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com for a FREE, no-pressure consultation and job quote.  —Kyle Abraham Bi, Owner + CEO

Be sure to check out our five-star rating on Google Reviews!

UPDATED  11/3/2024

We are one of the few jewelers in the country with the skills and tools to redesign wedding rings or engagement rings entirely using your precious metal and gems. Take a look at this 45 second video to see how you can actually wear your family connections:

We can repurpose old earrings, bracelets, or a wedding ring into new jewelry or rings, convert a ring to a necklace or earrings, or accomplish just about any jewelry redesign process your heart desires.  

It doesn’t matter where you live. Every day, we are making a new wedding ring from old gold, collaborating on an old wedding ring redesign, and creating new jewelry from old jewelry for people all over North America.    

Plus, with the cost of gold so high, you typically save money. 

Here's the bottom line:

This article probably provides the most complete information on repurposing jewelry you'll find anywhere online.

We’ve divided it into four easy to read sections:

1.  Case studies: Take a quick look at example projects involving old wedding ring redesign and creating new custom jewelry from old or inherited jewelry. 

2.  How do we redesign old jewelry into new? Enter our studio to see how we redesign jewelry and transform old wedding rings into new wedding rings.  

3.  Pricing $$$: What will your jewelry redesign project cost? How much does it cost to get a ring made? Some of our redesigned old jewelry projects have a fixed price. For custom designs, I can provide you with a quote. We can always offer you options if you’re on a tight budget.  

4.  About us: This covers the issue of trust, who we are as dedicated artisan jewelers, uniquely qualified for  repurposing projects. 

Before we dive in, here’s a little teaser. Sure, we can redesign grandmother’s ring into a fancy pavé halo setting for your wedding!

This example of jewelry redesign before and after shows a reset engagement ring —  a totally custom design from approved CAD drawings reusing gold and gems.

But, we’re also expert hand fabricators.

Here we transformed a sentimental silver spoon and 14K baby bracelet into a "free-form" ring. 

And here's one more "atypical" project for good measure:

We transformed a dental crown into a wedding ring — adding a bit of our gold.  

Gold from your redesign engagement ring projects can come from ANY source.  If you don’t have enough, we can supplement. 

PART 1:  Repurposed Designer Jewelry: Before and After

CASE STUDY 1: Redesigned Wedding Rings and Engagement Rings

Most of our jobs involve transforming an old wedding ring into a new wedding ring, as shown below:

Can white gold be melted down and reused? Yes! In the redesign wedding ring project above, we melted the white gold ring on the left and created the domed comfort fit wedding ring on the right.

We gave this old wedding ring redesign a hammer finish. But we offer several other wedding ring textures as well:

How much does it cost to redesign a ring? We go into details in Part 3, but our prices start at $495. 

Even if you need ideas for old wedding rings for redesigning engagement rings, we can help because we specialize in custom jewelry. The old wedding ring redesign pictured below was based upon a drawing from the customer:

And, here is an example of what to do with old wedding rings as a before and after wedding and engagement ring set. This involved resetting diamond rings in white gold:

What to do with old engagement rings? It’s easy: make something that you love. We fabricated these custom designer rings entirely by hand in our Santa Fe studio.  

We set the diamond in what we call our open mount, which we can use in any ring. This setting, with a low set diamond, is particularly great if you have an active lifestyle.

Now for something completely different!

One of the recycle wedding ring projects that we really specialize in is mixed metal. This three color ring is one of my favorite ideas for an old wedding ring redesign:

Here’s another example of what to do with old wedding rings — combine two to make one wider design:

Continuing on with two tone ideas for redesigning wedding rings – in the project below we are using old diamonds in a new ring and adding one of our beautiful Montana sapphires.

We’re just getting started, but if you’re already inspired,

Let's talk! Give me, Kyle, a call at 888-733-5238 — or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. Include a photo of what you have and a photo or description of what you’d like us to make, and I’ll get you a quote. 

CASE STUDY 2: Ideas for Old Wedding Rings Based on Our Designs

While  a lot of our redesign wedding ring work involves recreating classic low domed and flat topped bands, many of our clients use their recycling wedding rings or jewelry redesign projects to create something uniquely amazing!  

The project below started as a redesign of a grandmother’s ring and other old family jewelry:

The ring redesign “After” shot is a variation of our King’s ring.  

Here’s another before/after jewelry redesign example that shows variations from our own jewelry design line:

Next, one of our customers chose to make our Donegal Engagement Ring design using his gold and his grandmother's nearly 2-carat diamond. You can see below the material he gave us on the left — except for the diamond which I had immediately removed for safe keeping.

We’re often resetting heirloom diamonds in engagement ring redesigns.

In the next case, our customer knew she wanted some kind of heart motif. After some discussion, she chose a variation of our Corazon ring — replicating the heart motif around the ring and resetting her diamonds:

We used her gold to make the center of the ring, and soldered on silver borders. Then, we finished the design using old diamonds in a new ring.

Whether you're sending us inherited old rings or any other piece of old gold jewelry, such as old bracelets or earrings, makes no difference in our fabrication.   

If you're making a new ring from an old ring, you can look at our wedding ring collection for inspiration. Or, send us an image that represents your heart’s desire! 

No matter what, we can fabricate your redesigned jewelry!

CASE STUDY 3: Combining Two Rings Into One

I got a call from a heartbroken gentleman who had lost his wife. He had her wedding ring, and wondered if we could combine a husband’s wedding ring with a wife’s.

For those who face the issue of what to do with old engagement rings, or wedding rings after a death, redesigning to combine two rings into one may be one of the most poignant options. 

We combined his wedding ring with hers to make a new ring, setting it with the diamond from her engagement ring:

The question of what to do with a wedding ring after a loss, or what to do with your parents’ wedding bands, is not an easy one.

This next project was shown in the video at the top of this article. This customer handled the question of what to do with a wedding ring after a death in a very special way. We took one ring — her late father’s — and made it into three identical rings — one for her mother, one for her sister, and one for herself.

A woman who had lost her husband wanted to create a ring by combining the material from their rings and resetting her diamond. She also had some additional length of gold chain to melt down.  

We started with repurposing old gold from the left, and created the new diamond ring on the right:

When combining two rings into one, we can also set any gemstone into the new ring — from small melee to a center stone from an old engagement ring.

When redesign engagement ring projects involve CAD drawings, you are in control. We’ll create multiple photo-realistic versions of your engagement ring redesign before settling on exactly what you want.  

In this next example, we used the rubies from an old style engagement ring from a grandmother to create this new contemporary beauty. 

Our client came into our shop with her own ideas. Here is her initial drawing:

We ended up creating this:

CASE STUDY 4 More Ideas for Redesigning Wedding Rings

Here, we have more examples of redesigned wedding rings after a death.  

A woman who lost her husband wanted to redesign wedding rings and an old class ring while maintaining the original design. We took the ring and other gold sent with it and converted it to a necklace. 

Another option for repurposing wedding rings after death that we do quite often is to turn rings into a cross pendant. 

Here’s another convert ring to pendant project… this time, using the silver and gold from one of our customer’s rings as a base for the cross of our own design.

We have to show you one more redesigned cross pendant…. One of our customers had a lot of white gold, and he wanted us to do something in remembrance of his mother.   

On the reverse side of the cross we made a small chamber that contains his mother’s ashes.

We set several recycled diamonds in this cross, his and ours. This is definitely the most elaborate repurposed cross design we’ve ever done.

[ Like what you see? Let’s talk about making a beautiful symbol of remembrance from the renewed jewelry of a beloved. Give me a call at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. ]

CASE STUDY 4  Converting A Ring To A Necklace

What makes our company particularly suited for making new jewelry from old? We are experts in both computer rendering and hand fabrication. There are many ways, for example that we’re able to convert a ring into a necklace.  

A customer who was getting married asked us to create a new pair of wedding rings using his grandparents’ old wedding rings. We had some extra gold from the old wedding ring redesign. We used this gold for a “convert a ring to a pendant project,” which resulted in the heart pendant below. The necklace was gifted to the mother of the bride at the wedding event.

As this story shows, there are many ways to redesign your grandmother’s ring! You can turn it into a new necklace for her, a ring for a child or grandchild, or possibly both.

Here's another similar example of converting a ring to a necklace. For this project, we melted the white and yellow gold from the ring on the left — which belonged to our customer's grandfather — and made the new two-tone ring on the right. 

Again, we had some extra gold from this project, which we used to create a heart pendant for our customer's grandmother — which then served as a wedding gift.

If you are converting a ring to a necklace, we could actually do a much more extensive project than just bending wire. 

Here’s one such example of turning a wedding ring into a pendant:

This client had a ring that she never wore...but she loved the pearl set in it. We were able to remove the pearl and create a lovely pendant by repurposing her gold.

Below, we transformed an old gold ring and gold chain into a fully custom pendant:

This was a gift a lovely couple commissioned for their son. 

Of course:

If we can convert a ring to a necklace, we can also transform a necklace (or necklaces) into a ring!

Take this project for example, in which we repurposed both gold and gemstones in a new jewelry design:

We took the gold from several necklace pendants and a ring, and used it to create a brand new gemstone engagement ring set with a stunning rose quartz and diamond accents. The result is a timeless yet unique piece, which our customer absolutely adores.

More Ideas for Redesigning Wedding Rings

CASE STUDY 5

What do you do if you have inherited old wedding rings, but have no need for a new wedding or engagement ring?

Our client, when considering ideas for  inherited old wedding rings, asked for a free-flowing wide ring that used her existing diamond.

Working together, we came up with this design:

It required a lot of finessing from our jewelers, who are more accustomed to making less organic-looking designs. After completion we sent her back all her gemstones.  

In the end, our client wrote, "I received the ring and I love it. It fits perfectly too!"   

We can also repurpose silver into new designs. Here’s an example of that:

Redesign Custom Jewelry Using Your Gems

CASE STUDY 6  involves resetting diamonds and rubies. 

Since we started our company in 1995, customers have requested absolutely anything and everything, ranging from changing out gemstones in existing designs to immortalizing the pawprint of a beloved four-legged friend.

For this custom jewelry project, we recreated the pawprint of a client's beloved dog on a pendant. More details on this here!

This customer actually sent us a muddy paw print on a piece of paper after her beloved dog passed away. We collaborated closely, coming up with this pendant design which we made entirely by hand.

Here's a short video on our Custom Jewelry Design Process:

CASE STUDY 7  Resetting Diamond Engagement Rings: Using Old Diamonds In A New Ring 

Using old diamonds in a new ring, or resetting diamond engagement rings, is such a common request that we always have these kinds of projects going through our shop. 

We can take your old gold and make a new ring with it, or we can reset your diamonds into one of our designs. Here's a recent job we did using diamonds from our client's mother and grandmother:

In this example below, the customer provided us with a diamond and two old signet-style rings which we melted down and used to make a new engagement ring:

We hammered the ring for additional texture and used the extra gold to pay for the project. The ring itself cost $570 and setting and mounting $385.

Another example: the ring below is one of our designs, but was reset with a customer's diamond of over two carats:

What a beauty! Our Open Rope Engagement Ring designs, some of our most popular, feature a low-set center stone — the perfect engagement ring for an active lifestyle.

Another idea for redesigning wedding rings is shown below. We were asked to duplicate the ring on the left, which is made in base metal. We used the customer's old gold to make the new ring on the right, which we set with a ruby and lab grown diamonds. 

In the next redesign ring project, we took gold and diamonds to the left and made this custom ring:

[ Do you want to reset your diamonds? Need ideas for redesigning wedding rings or engagement rings? Call me at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com ] 

CASE STUDY 8 More Jewelry Redesign Before and After 

The two examples of old wedding ring redesign show how the transformation can be quite dramatic.

The "before" photo here is an older, inherited piece. The "after" photo is the engagement ring which used the customer's diamonds and sapphire.

In the case below, we brainstormed with considering various ideas for old wedding rings. She settled on this one-of-a-kind design based on one of our existing designs:  

In this case we did not re-use the gold. We gave the customer 93% of its spot value toward the making of the new ring.

And here is one more custom designed sapphire ring project:

We reset this client's small diamonds (a fantastic color combo!), and used her yellow gold to create the center band of the new ring. The rest of the ring was fabricated in silver.

We also provided her with a top-notch Montana sapphire for this project!

[Concerned about gemstone sources? From Montana sapphires to lab diamonds, we specialize in ethical sourcing. Call me at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com — I'll help you find the best option. ]

CASE STUDY 9  Custom Ideas for Redesigning Wedding Rings 

Here again, the customer provided the diamonds and a basic design. We drew up this sketch and then created this piece entirely by hand:

You can always send us a simple drawing for your custom idea. Don’t worry about not being an artist! We can work with you. 

With the ring above, we used our client’s diamonds. The whole custom job, entirely handmade, from the customer’s drawing to the final product, ran $2700.  

But now for something completely different for a custom design from old jewelry:

We used the gold from the rings on the left to create the gold band with a silver backing shown on the right. The customer sent us a drawing of the pattern which we put on the ring itself.  

And last, here’s a great gift for those elk hunters (like me) reading this post:

This client sent us his old bracelet and his elk tooth and we carved and fabricated the ring on the right. Custom repurposing jewelry projects like this run about $1500 or so.  

The ring above required us to create a hand carved wax model and then cast out the design, using old gold.

When casting for redesign or repurposing jewelry, the best practice is to purchase alloy from a supply house and mix it with 24K (pure) gold. Recasting old gold from an old ring can pose difficult challenges due to the fickle and unpredictable nature of heat, precious metal, and unknown alloys in a hot flask. 

But here's what you have to know about this kind of  before you start:

There needs to be a lot of extra gold in the casting process for the sprue — the piece of metal that attaches the wax to a structure within the casting flask. The sprue can have as much or more gold by weight than the ring.  

So, if you want us to cast a ring using your gold, send us a lot of gold. Or, we can move forward using our gold to create the cast. In this case, you would have to be OK knowing your new ring will not be 100% your gold, but a combination of our gold and your gold.

But what this option does allow is for us to make virtually any engagement or wedding ring that you can imagine. Learn more about custom projects here.  

CASE STUDY 10 Where Can I Get My Gold Melted Down?

While most wedding rings are made in 14K or 18K, because the alloy makes gold stronger, we can create wedding rings of any carat gold you wish, even 24K gold.

The photograph above shows the two rings that are made of 24K gold. The customer sent us a pure gold ounce from which we fabricated the rings by hand:

Here’s another example of that same process, this time using a gold coin which we cut up and used to fabricate a new design:

The square and round pieces of gold are what remained from the gold we used to make the ring.  

Redesigning Wedding Rings and Engagement Rings from Old White Gold Jewelry

CASE STUDY 11  Can White Gold Be Melted Down And Reused? 

Redesign wedding ring projects using white gold poses special challenges.  

White gold is made with alloy that turns yellow gold into its white color. This alloy has special qualities that often make a high polish finish difficult when repurposing jewelry.  

If you want a smooth, high-polish finish with your old wedding ring redesign, about 85% of the time, there's no issue. But about 15% of the time, small impurities in the form of tiny pits show through. This issue comes up specifically when using old white gold to make new white gold jewelry or new white gold wedding rings.

Some of our customers embrace this look. But for those who don't like it, we highly recommend, when considering ideas for old wedding rings, a design like our Playa style rings or rings with a hammered finish.  

But if you opt for a smooth high-polish finish, you may end up with a surface as shown below:

This white gold engagement ring contained an inscription on the inside of the band, marking the wedding date of a young couple.

When we repurposed this piece as a pair of smaller wedding rings, we re-created the inscription on the outside.

If you don't want a textured finish, we can simply buy your gold at 93% of its value and create your design using new white gold.

Here's what I recommend: 

If you want a high polish, let's just go for it. If not, or if we do have pitting, then we can talk about options. Finishes are always applied as the last stage in ring production. 

[ If you’ve read this far, let’s chat! Call me 888-733-5238, or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com with an image of what you have and a description of what you’d like us to make. ]

CASE STUDY 12  Resetting Diamonds in a New Ring

One customer had her mother's ring sitting in the back of her jewelry drawer for many years.  

She wanted to honor the memory of her mother, but the ring's style just wasn't for her. Perhaps you’ll understand why she was wanted to reset the diamonds from this photo:

The ring, shown at center, was in 14K white gold. The necklace with onyx beads was in 18K yellow gold.  

Our customer wanted a halo style ring with accent sapphires. I provided the sapphires, as well as several extra diamonds. In our jewelry redesign process, we made several versions of CAD/CAM sketches:

One advantage of using CAD/CAM for reset diamond projects is that we can show you what a finished product will look like before it's manufactured. We won't move forward with resetting your diamonds until you approve! 

Here’s a look at the outcome of our reset diamond projects:

Looks gorgeous, doesn't it?

And here's the kicker:

The diamond resetting cost was offset by the extra 18K yellow gold in the first photo above, which we paid 93% of spot price for. (More on this in PART 3, our section on cost, below!)

[ Unsure if CAD/CAM or handwork is best for you? Let’s figure it out! Give me a call at 888-733-5238, or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com ]

Case Study 13

Here's one last project for your consideration!

For this project, our client asked us to transform her old inherited gold rings into a new white gold stacker set. We flush set the small stones stones, and added a hammer finish to the stacker rings:

Is Recycling Your Gold Eco Friendly? 

Now, a few final points before we conclude...

Despite white other “ethical” jewelers may misleadingly claim, the answer is, not particularly. The bottom line is recycled gold as an eco-friendly proposition is just another form of greenwashing.   

We are poineers in ethical sourcing in North America and the only Fairtrade Gold jewelers in the USA. There are over 250 in the UK alone, but here, the movement has not taken off. If you want to know why, take a deep dive into my Ethical Sourcing Exposé.

But the key point is this: 

Regardless of how much jewelry is recycled, gold mining will continue, particularly in the case of small-scale miners who live in impoverished exploited conditions. I explain why in this July 2020 feature article I wrote for Canada's top jewelry trade magazine. 

We have to do something for those impoverished small-scale miners — 25 million of them. Fairtrade Gold gives them the best chance to live dignified lives, and reduces global mercury contamination.  

The real value of reusing inherited gold in a new engagement ring, or considering what to do with an inherited wedding ring is that the gold has talismanic importance and saving money. 

If we need more gold for your ring, we can use recycled gold or Fairtrade Gold. Fairtrade gold is better, as I explain in my 15 Reasons You Should Buy Fairtrade Gold Jewelry vs. Recycled Gold Jewelry.  

PART 2:  Melting Gold Jewelry Into New Jewelry 

These photos (and video) below show how we work with most of our old wedding ring redesign projects, which involve handmade fabrication.    

Melting gold jewelry is the first step to redesign old jewelry. This two minute video shows how we do it in a step by step process explained:

Because we're melting it down, we can use gold from any source to repurpose old jewelry. And, it doesn't matter so much if we end up mixing carats. We can combine a 10K ring with a 14K ring, melting two rings together to form one. 

If we are going to cast, we would use this gold as shown above in its ingot form. 

But with hand-fabricating, we take that lump of old gold and put it through our mill shown below:

This design is our basic 3mm flat-topped comfort fit ring, but again we can make in any width. 

The process of redesigning an engagement ring or wedding ring is a complex and multiphase job that can take many hours. Sometimes, when we use an inherited gold wedding or engagement ring we have to endlessly polish to get out pits and impurities because the alloys in the gold come to the surface. 

This is particularly true when we repurpose a gold chain, which can have a lot of solder in it. Pitting happens about 25% of the time when repurposing white gold and about 5% of the time when repurposing yellow gold. In almost all cases, we can fix the pitting. When we can't, we can explore options such as a hammer or textured finish. 

Let me elaborate: on this question how we go about reusing inherited gold in a new engagement ring, or what to do with an inherited wedding ring, every project is somewhat of a custom design project. 

The good news is: you have endless options!  

As long as we are making new jewelry from old jewelry with gold, we can make an infinite number of old wedding ring redesigns in gold or silver. If you want something in platinum, we can purchase your platinum at 93% of spot price, and put this toward your jewelry redesign.

PART 3:  How Much Does Jewelry Repurposing Cost?

One of the primary concerns when using old jewelry to make new jewelry is cost. Wedding ring redesign or engagement ring redesign projects vary in cost depending upon the complexity of the job.  

So, how much does it cost to remake a ring? 

Our basic projects, which involves melting old jewelry into new jewelry, start at $495.  

For that, we’ll make a comfort fit flatted topped ring or our comfort fit domed ring.  

These comfort fit flat-topped and domed rings are both 6mm wide, but can be made in any width. Learn more about comfort fit rings here and see our selection here.

Our pricing reflects the time involved in your redesigned wedding ring project. The $495 quote applies to a yellow gold ring 2mm-4mm wide. 

For a ring between 5mm-8mm wide, the cost is $620. (More surface area means we have to deal with more cracking and clean up, as well as more effort to shape the ring.) 

For anything over 8mm, it's best to contact us at 888-733-5238 or info(at)reflectivejewelry.com.

There’s a $100 upcharge for using white gold in repurposed wedding rings, because of difficulties in working this kind of metal. We also can’t guarantee a polished finish, as discussed above.

Other factors involved in how much does it cost to have a ring made: 

A hammered finish runs $75. We can also engrave your repurposed wedding ring for $15 per letter, with a 6-letter/$75 minimum.

If you want to create two rings, and they are both the same width, we'll offer a discount on the second ring — regardless of sizing.

One last thing: if there are gemstones that we need to remove, we charge based on our hourly labor rate —$145/hr.

You can get a better look at the complex processes of melting and rolling out your gold in this article here. 

So, one question that often comes up is: do you save money on this kind of old wedding ring redesign? 

The answer is: given the price of gold, which is hovering around $2750 an ounce, you do save money in making new rings from old.

Here's another key point: 

Otherwise, we can use recycled gold or Fairtrade Gold, sourced from this mine. We are the only Fairtrade Gold jewelers in the entire USA. (I tell you why in this article I wrote for Canada's top jewelry trade magazine.) 

But what if you want your old wedding rings redesigned and you don't have enough gold or budget?   

We can still work with you!

[ Have specific questions about the cost of your redesigned wedding ring project? Give me a call at 888-733-5238, or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. There's NO obligation, and NO pressure! ]

Ideas For Old Wedding Rings Repurposing That Save Money 

Let's say that you want to have old wedding rings redesigned. Your existing material is a 14K gold ring weighing a fifth of an ounce. Maybe it's two 3mm rings that are size 6. You want a size 10 ring that is 4mm wide.   

We have three options to save you money when considering ideas for old wedding rings!   

1.   Alloy down your gold. Simply speaking, in wedding ring redesign, if we add yellow gold alloy to the amount of gold you have, the material may end up 10K (.417 gold content) vs. 14K (.585 gold content.) The cost for this is just $35. The ring will still be gold — it will just have less gold content.  

The higher the carat of gold, the more the gold looks...like gold. But don't worry about it. Your ring will still look great. If the reason for your repurposing is what to do with grandma's wedding ring, the carat of the gold really doesn't matter.  

 2.   Sell us your gold. If you're wondering, "where can I get my gold melted down," send it to us! We'll buy it from you at 93% of spot price — and put this toward your wedding ring redesign cost. We can also apply extra gold value from any old jewelry into a new jewelry project.  

If you are not sure whether your old chain is real gold or merely plated, send it along anyway. If it is real gold, I'll credit you. If it is not, I'll send it back to you.  

Spot price is fixed on the London Bullion Market price on the day your materials are received in our shop. 

3.   Recycle old jewelry within your wedding ring redesign. Use extra gold that you have from jewelry you don't care about to mix with your wedding rings in the wedding ring redesign project. We can melt all your gold together to make new rings from old rings.

Here's one final idea that can also save you money!

Suppose that you have 14K white gold rings and you want to make 14K yellow gold rings. I will exchange your white gold for yellow gold, one for one. The fee for that service is just $35. 

How Much Does it Cost to Get a Ring Custom Made on CAD/CAM using your gold and gems?

Now, if your project is more complex or full-on custom and we can't build it by hand, we can produce it using CAD/CAM as shown below.

When you are considering ideas for old wedding rings, or custom jewelry from old jewelry, start by sending us your design idea.  We can assist with design decisions and we will give you a quote to make it. 

Whatever you want to make, we can produce a customized version of it.

We use CAD/CAM software to design a model on a computer and print this in wax. 

CAD/CAM wedding ring redesign costs depend upon the nature of each project. Really simple CAD production can be as little as $995.

But, generally, rings with gemstones are $1250 and upward, depending upon the complexity of the project.    

The redesigning wedding rings project from Case Study 3 above, for example, was also done on CAD/CAM and cost $1500.

Setting the small stones cost $44 each and this center stone cost $155 to set. 

But what about the cost of other jewelry redesign projects? Making a ring into a necklace, or resetting a diamond, for example....

Again, we need to just talk because pricing varies according to the scope of the project and materials. But depending on the time and complexity, they generally start at around $750.

Gemstone and Diamond Resetting Cost 

The good news is, we will happily set your diamonds and colored gemstones, even rough gemstones, into your wedding or engagement ring redesign. 

In fact, probably about 30% of the repurposed designer jewelry we make involves using our customers' own gemstones. 

Here, one of our jewelers is shown setting a diamond into a custom engagement ring that uses our ever-popular Flores motif.

The cost of custom ring setting, or resetting diamonds into a new ring, varies widely according to the setting type, size of the stone, type of stone and complexity of the project. 

But I can still offer you some general examples of costs we typically charge when we 're repurposing rings. Please note that we cannot use your gold and silver for the mounting of gemstones. We typically purchase them from jewelry supply houses, ready-made. 

Here are five examples along with our general pricing for material in 14K gold:

1.  Flush setting.  Also known as "gypsy setting," we can do this type of setting for gemstones up to 2.5mm. There's no extra material involved. We simply drill a hole into the metal and set the stone. We charge $44.

2.  Bezel setting.  This price has many variables, such as karat of metal and size of stone. A 3mm diamond with a 14K bezel in our ring would run in the $70 range. A 5mm bezel-set diamond would be about $150. The best thing to do is to call and discuss your project with me. 

3.  Channel setting or Pavé.  This price mainly depends upon how many gemstones and the nature of the project itself. For small stones, we charge $29 per stone setting. 

4.  Prong setting.  Typically, prong setting of a 5 mm gemstone can range from $55 to $200, depending upon the kind of setting used — karat of gold, number of prongs, style, etc.

Honestly, redesign wedding ring or redesign engagement ring projects are typically custom jobs. It is difficult to quote exact pricing in an article like this, but I just wanted to give you some idea.  

We are very transparent about our pricing structure, and always happy to answer questions. Call us at 888-733-5238, or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com.

Two final critical points!  

First, we generally have some flexibility in jewelry redesign cost. For example, suppose you want to add gemstones but you cannot afford them. You can send the repurposed jewelry back to us in a year, and we can reset the diamond or gemstones then.  

I can also offer you a payment plan that works for you. The key point is, I will do the best I can to meet your budget. There are a lot of variables in jewelry repurposing jobs.  

Also, while we generally require 50% down before we begin the repurpose jewelry job, often I can waive that fee because the gold you send in serves as a deposit.  

Second, we do charge for shipping on repurposing jobs.

For simple repurposing wedding ring projects that do not contain expensive material, insured return shipping can run between $25 and $30. Sometimes, however, we receive high-value diamonds that might cost upwards of $70 to ship back. 

In these cases, we will contact you with the return shipping cost to ask how much insurance you'd like.

PART 4:  ABOUT US  

Since 1995, we have been making new jewelry from old, focusing on old wedding ring redesign and creating new jewelry from old gold. 

We also specialize in all kinds of custom jewelry design using old gold that our customers send us from all over North America to make new pendants, bracelets or even earrings.   

Visit us in Santa Fe New Mexico! We're Santa Fe's 2019 Green Business of the Year. Our workshop is adjacent to the store.

Three things give us an extraordinary capacity for this kind of custom work that few others can match: 

First, we can design just about anything any other jeweler can using CAD/CAM computer programs using your gold! That means that if you want a three-diamond ring, reset an engagement ring, create earrings with 60 pavé diamonds, or simply convert a wedding ring into a pendant or cross, we can do it.  

Second, we are experts in hand fabrication repurposing old jewelry using your gold and gems. Though we have technical expertise, we are designers, artisans, and makers. We have over 80 years of combined bench work experience. For example, while most jewelers (including us) can design something on a computer and send it off to be made, few have the skill to take on this sort of project:

"I love it!!!"

We are part of a Southwest jewelry fabrication tradition that dates back to the Spanish Conquistadors. We work with hand-forged anvils, rolling mills, cow horn mallets, domed steel and a huge variety of specialty maker tools used to cut metal by hand, forge designs, and stamp out motifs. 

Third, With most projects, you get to deal directly with the owner or general manager of a small designer jewelry studio. Everything is personal with us. 

Here's the bottom line: 

Whether it’s using old diamonds in a new ring, converting a ring to a necklace, transforming old gold earrings, bracelets, or chain into a ring or something else,we can take on projects that few jewelers would ever consider. 

Concluding Thoughts 

We hope this provides at least a starting point for what to do with old gold jewelry! If you have any more questions, call me at 888-733-5238 so we can talk personally about the project. 

Otherwise, you can email me at info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. You can also leave your question or comment in the comment section below. It can take me 24 hours to get back to you, particularly on the weekends. 

PS: One more thing: shipping. I get many questions over how to get the gold to me. We recommend US Postal Service, insured. The postman comes into our store, and we sign for high value packages. Send the jewelry to me, Attn: Kyle Bi, Reflective Images,  912 Baca Street, Santa Fe, NM 87505.  

New for 2023: FAQ

Below, I’ve answered a few frequently asked questions I’ve received about jewelry redesign. But if you still can’t find the info you’re looking for, please leave your comment below or email me directly at info@reflectivejewelry.com.

Sincerely,

Kyle

How much does it cost to remake or redesign a ring? 

The quick answer is: prices start at $495, cost is largely dictated by the details of your individual project. Scroll up to the pricing section of this article for more details, or simply email me at info@reflectivejewelry.com. I’ll respond ASAP, and you’re under no obligation to move forward.

How much does it cost to melt down a ring and make a new one? 

Same answer as above! $495+. Just send the details of your project to info@reflectivejewelry.com, and I’ll get back to you with a more accurate quote. 

What can I do with an old engagement ring?

Anything you like! We can pull the stones out, melt down the gold, and reshape it into a new ring, necklace, or  earrings. We can add more gold if needed, and reset all or just several of your stones. 

Oftentimes, customers have a deep sentimental attachment with their mother or grandmother’s engagement ring, but don’t love the style. Reworking the gold and resetting the stones is an ideal way to maintain the sentimental value, while staying true to yourself. Email me at info@reflectivejewelry.com to get started.

How much does it cost to get a ring made?

The cost to make a new ring out of old, inherited, or heirloom gold jewelry or scrap metal starts at $495! Email info@reflectivejewelry.com, and I’ll respond as soon as possible to discuss details.

Where can I get my gold melted down?

If you’d like to get your old scrap gold or inherited gold jewelry melted down and reworked into a new design, you’ve found the right place! We’re experts at jewelry repurposing, and can create new jewelry for you that maintains sentimental value. Simply email me at info@reflectivejewelry.com with the details of your project, and we can get started right away.

Kyle Abraham Bi, Owner and CEO of Reflective Jewelry, was an inaugural recipient of the Black in Jewelry Coalition x GIA Distance Education Scholarship — as well as a signatory of 2020’s BIPOC Open Letter to the jewelry industry. He has functioned as a representative for North American jewelers to the USAID Zahabu Safi (Clean Gold) Project, appeared as a featured speaker at the Chicago Responsible Jewelry Conference, and is a regular feature writer for Jewellery Business Magazine. He serves on both Ethical Metalsmiths’ Advisory Council and Action Coalition, and is an Editor and Author for their blog The Source. Kyle holds a BA from Brown University in Contemplative Studies, and is a Graduate Gemologist. He can be reached at kyle(at)reflectivejewelry.com.