Above, an example of converting a ring into a necklace.
SPECIAL NOTE: WE CAN REDESIGN OLD JEWELRY USING YOUR GOLD AND GEMSTONES TO CREATE ANYTHING YOU CAN IMAGINE, from combining two rings into one to converting a ring into a necklace.
Looking to work with an awesome small artisan studio with excellent cred? Call us at our shop at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com for a FREE, no-pressure consultation. —Marc Choyt, co-owner
Updated: 7/11/2022
If you are looking for a jeweler to repurpose jewelry, diamonds, gems, and/or gold or silver to create an exquisite custom design, you’ve found the right place!
We can repurpose vintage jewelry, convert a ring into a necklace, or repurpose rings to make anything from a pavé broach to a simple comfort fit wedding band.
For example, we redesigned this old wedding ring from our client’s grandmother. The project involved resetting inherited diamonds and using old gold, allowing her to wear her connection to her ancestors:
Do you have some old gold laying around and want it fashioned into redesigned jewelry that you’ll really love? Why not turn it into a custom bracelet?
One of an infinite number of ideas for old wedding rings… that we can make!
This is crazy, but it gets better:
High gold prices mean that melting old jewelry into jewelry (or most any redesign jewelry project) can save you a lot of money. Jewelers typically a have high mark-up for materials, but when using your own precious metal and gems you’ll pay only for labor.
By now, you may be thinking: "OK, but can I trust this company?"
YES! But don’t just take our word! Check out our nearly 200 Five-Star Google Reviews.
We are old-world style artisan makers. Our four jewelers have over eighty years of combined bench experience.
If you're interested in a peek at our artisan studio and work, scroll to the bottom of this page.
But for now:
This article provides you some of the most comprehensive information on what you can do with old jewelry: including the methods we use, costs, and next steps.
AND, we can do it at a very fair price, which we explain later in this article.
Let's take a look at a few of our before and after redesigned jewelry projects:
Examples of Creating New Jewelry from Old Jewelry
When creating new jewelry from old — converting a ring into a necklace or otherwise — we can use your old gold from any source.
Case in point:
Yes, that's an old gold dental crown/gold tooth we transformed into a wedding ring.
What this project illustrates is that it doesn’t really matter whether we're receiving old earrings, coins, chains, or rings — it all works when creating new jewelry from old jewelry.
[ Curious about your own jewelry transformation? Give me, Marc, a call at 888-733-5238 — or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. I'm happy to answer your questions, with no obligation! ]
Below is another example, this time repurposing a ring into a necklace:
This customer had an old ring she never wore. But she loved the pearl that was set in it, for obvious reasons!
In this case, I think it's a no-brainer to see what you can do with your old jewelry. This ring to necklace transformation is just lovely.
And here's just one more example of converting a ring into a necklace:
This project was commissioned by a lovely couple from India, who wanted to gift their son a custom helm (ship's wheel) pendant. This was a full on custom project, involving computer generated modeling and photo-realistic renderings. We went back and forth until this couple was satisfied before printing the wax and casting out the piece.
The three projects above give you a good idea of the range of possibilities when converting a ring to a necklace.
But here’s another jewelry redesign before and after project — resetting a diamond into a custom wedding ring redesign:
We used our client’s gold to create this ring by hand in our studio. We'll reset your diamonds or other gems into any design!
In the next example, we used the diamonds from a Grandmother’s ring and made a more classic contemporary design from our own collection:
What’s really cool is this:
It's not possible to turn white gold into yellow gold. BUT, if you send us yellow gold and you want white gold ring, we can trade out the metal for you. This, again, saves you money!
[ There’s no time like the present! If you have questions about your custom jewelry project, just give me a call at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. ]
What to Do with Old Gold Jewelry?
Honestly, if you want to update old jewelry, the options are endless. Let's review a few examples of old wedding ring redesign — that is, ideas for what to do with old wedding rings.
The rings to the left were passed down through two families. From them, we created monogrammed cufflinks made from old family worn at a new wedding. Symbolically, the family's old wedding rings became a talismanic piece to represent continuity from old generations to the next.
Jewelry redesign, before and after, can be infinitely imagined!
We could have just as easily converted the rings into a necklace, using the round disk as the basis and adding new designs.
In fact: Here's a somewhat similar project, transforming multiple pieces of jewelry into something singularly spectacular:
Here, we took the gold from a ring and two pendants, and reset this gorgeous rose quartz (and several diamonds) into a brand new gemstone engagment ring. The result is a timeless design, tweaked in a few key ways to add a special layer of significance.
Sometimes our customers ask us to create cross motifs and religious symbols out of older jewelry — particularly to honor someone dear who they've lost.
With the project below, we created a variation of our Interlace Cross from an old wedding ring. You can see on the ring below to the left that there is a bit of gold in the silver. No matter. We melted it all together. The silver from the ring to left formed the base of the new cross to the right:
Another example where we turn wedding ring into a pendant: A gentleman had just lost his wife, and wanted her ring turned into a very simple cross:
We have a broad selection of Cross designs — but you can also send us an image of what you’d like, and we'll make it for you!
In this next project turning a ring into a necklace, we used an old wedding ring from a cherished family member to fabricate the circle incorporated in this classic Celtic Trinity Knot motif:
Because there was extra gold from this recycled wedding ring project that we did not use, we treated this as a credit — purchasing the gold at 93% of its spot value.
Repurpose Vintage Jewelry
We often repurpose vintage jewelry, whether it be old chain, rings, or necklaces. This particular custom jewelry from old jewelry project involved turning the old chain to the left into two new wedding rings. In the bottom ring in the photo below, we added some of our silver and gave it a hammered finish.
When upcycling old jewelry, we can also create our own designs! Our Simplicity Engagement Ring is top, above our River Ring.
This next project repurposing vintage jewelry involved removing diamonds and melting the gold on the left to create the custom ring on the right:
And below, another example of a repurposed vintage jewelry project in which we took the stones out and made a more simple, elegant band:
And, then there’s this job, where we made a signet ring modifying the floral design shown in the ring above to the left:
It was positively BADASS — as Mr. King expresses below in his own words!
[ If you're feeling inspired, why wait?? Call me at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com ]
What to Do with Old Wedding Rings After Death: Combining Two Rings into One
Redesigning wedding rings after death is a poignant way to remember your Beloved. In this instance, a man contacted us after he lost his wife. We combined two rings into one: his wife’s engagement ring and his wedding ring.
In this process of combining two rings into one, or any update old jewelry project, we can use any gemstone.
We are always honored to do these kinds of projects.
Here is another example:
We always return the diamonds that we don’t use for your new redesign jewelry project.
Update Old Jewelry and Redesign Wedding Rings
The process of melting old jewelry into new jewelry opens up infinite possibilities.
One of our customer's repurposed jewelry ideas was to take her grandfather’s ring and turn it into one our Marcello style.
In this old wedding ring redesign, we separated the white gold from the yellow gold. Then, we melted each piece of gold separately to create an ingot.
We had to create separate wire in our rolling mill to shape and form the old gold in this old wedding ring redesign.
We had some extra gold from the ring which we melted together. For Grandma, who would be attending the wedding, we were able to convert the ring to a pendant — creating this heart pendant jewelry redesign from her late husband's gold ring.
Here's a better look:
More Ideas for Old Wedding Rings
Many times, our clients want custom jewelry from old jewelry that’s completely one-of-a-kind. The only limit to any jewelry redesign project is your imagination!
Shown here, we created this wavy wide ring with its organic form:
Another example of jewelry redesign before and after! We send the unused gems back to our customers.
In this next reuse diamonds from engagement ring project, we did something that is a little more classic and contemporary:
This project was a totally custom design.
Custom Repurpose Jewelry Design
Very often the best option is to simply to create a custom jewelry design from an old wedding ring, resetting dimaonds.
Sometimes we work with a simple drawing to hand-make a new piece:
We reset diamonds, but did not use the customer’s gold. The project cost $2200.
Now, for something completely different:
We resused this customer's gold and diamonds to create a completely new design ring, featuring a gorgeous tanzanite.
And in the job below, we reset our customer’s gorgeous sapphire, and ended up using just two old diamonds in new custom ring — returning the customer’s extra diamonds:
Now, here's one more example of a sapphire ring:
We reset this client's lovely mismatched diamonds, and used her yellow gold to create the center part 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!
[Curious about our gemstone sources? Call me at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com — I'll help you find the best option for your project. ]
Almost all of our redesign old jewelry projects turn out to be custom work. You can get a greater sense of our custom jewelry process here.
Here’s the bottom line:
It doesn't matter what your existing gold jewelry or gems looks like — it's what you imagine!
This woman had a baby bracelet and a silver spoon. Here’s what we made:
Now that you’ve seen samples of our work, you may be wondering: how do we do it?
Continue on to the next section to see!
[ If you’ve gotten this far into our article, why not just contact me your project? There’s no charge for consultation, and I’ll give you a price quote. Give me a call at 888-733-5238, or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com ]
How We Redesign Old Jewelry
What makes us extremely unusual among jewelers who do redesign jewelry projects is both our unique capacity and the extraordinary personal service we provide.
Now: here's how it works:
Once we receive your pieces, we remove the gemstones — which we retain to set in your new piece. Then, we employ one of two different approaches:
First, we are makers and designers.
We are experts in hand fabrication, which allows us to take on jewelry redesign project that require a certain set of skills that are relatively rare in today’s high-tech world.
After we melt down to an ingot, we put your gold through a rolling mill, which creates a wire. This wire is bent and shaped to make an old ring into anything, from a wedding ring redesign to a project converting a ring to a necklace:
The process above resulted in this ring:
Here’s my key point:
In the world of repurposed jewelry ideas, we are, essentially, a rare and endangered species: makers and artisans who work with their own hands using fabrication methods that are hundreds of years old.
But as for the Second making style: we can employ high-tech jewelry redesign methods:
Some repurposing jewelry projects are extremely technical and require drawings and carvings that are computer-generated. This can be particularly true if we are using old diamonds in new rings, such as with channel or pavé settings.
For an eternity band, we will want to render images off computer-generated files.
This jewelry redesign before and after illustrates my point:
This is another example of redesigning a wedding ring after death.
A woman who had just lost her husband wanted to combine his ring with her engagement ring diamond. She sent the gold that she had and a style that would symbolize not just her loss, but would give a sense of an underlying unity and wholeness at the same time.
The cost of this project, in which we provided the small melee diamonds, was $1600. Part of this was paid for with gold leftover from the project itself.
The next section focuses on the pricing for our services:
Cost of Repurposing Jewelry
You may be wondering: "How much does it cost to get a ring made?"
Redesign jewelry cost depends upon the time and material involved in production. In short: there are a lot of variables!
Ring redesign cost can be as low as $495 — for example, for a 2mm-4mm wide yellow gold comfort fit flatted topped ring or comfort fit domed ring:
Making new rings from old need not be too expensive... Learn more about comfort fit rings here and see our selection here.
Note that our wedding ring redesigns are high-quality feel — 2mm thick at the dome (or in the center) of our comfort fit.
In many redesign wedding ring projects, our clients want two rings. If the second ring is the same width and metal, the cost will be lower.
Regardless of the size of the new ring, your classic wedding ring resign cost remains the same.
Here are the answers to some frequently asked questions when it comes to the cost to repurpose a wedding band:
As noted above, simple yellow gold bands from 2mm-4mm wide are $495. For 5mm-8mm, the cost is $595. More surface area means greater room for error, and more time to get it just right. For any width over 8mm, it's easiest to just email me at info(at)reflectivejewelry.com.
White gold redesigned wedding bands are a $75 upcharge, due to the intricacies of working with the alloys they contain. We also cannot guarantee a high-polish finish, and may have to go with another option — though we often do have success!
Adding a hammered finish to your ring redesign is $75.
Stone removal is typically $25, but may be more depending on a few factors.
We can also engrave your newly redesigned wedding band for $15 per letter, with a 6-letter/$75 minimum.
Finally: when it comes to resetting engagement ring cost or resetting diamond rings cost...assuming we have to make a new ring, the base price is still $495.
I’ll explain the cost of resetting diamonds and gems themselves below.
[ If you have specific questions about the cost for your repurposed jewelry project, just give me a call at 888-733-5238 or email info (at) reflectivejewelry.com. There's NO pressure and NO commitment! ]
Custom Design Ring Cost
If the project involves custom jewelry from old jewelry and we go with computer to wax, very basic designs start at $650.
In terms of cost, the reset diamond ring cost of the design below (not including the engraving and interior-set gemstones) would be $950.
We can make any custom jewelry from old jewelry design that you can possibly imagine.
Sometimes when we’re using old diamonds in a new rings we will end up doing hand-carved wax. Our shop time is $100 an hour for this work.
Regarding resetting diamonds into a new ring cost—it depends on the size. We can flush-set (that’s the style shown in the interior of the band above) for $39 each, but the loose diamonds have to be under 3mm or they will poke through the ring.
Resetting larger gemstones, whether they be in prong- or bezel-set mounts, varies depending on the size of the gemstone, cost of material, and time involved in the resetting of the diamond.
If you have a big project but are on a budget, here are a few ways to offset costs:
Budget-Saving Options For Your Jewelry Redesign
For some redesign old jewelry projects, there's not enough gold to do the job.
Suppose, for example, your ring size is a ten and you want a 6mm-wide ring. You have your grandpa’s size 8 ring, and it’s 4mm wide. You need more gold. If you’re doing custom redesign jewelry project via CAD/CAM, we definitely need a third at least of extra material just to create a sprue that attaches to the wax.
While we can use recycled gold or Fairtrade Gold, sourced from this mine to make up the difference, the price is currently at record levels. Here are just three other options:
We’ll buy your extra gold!
If you want to know, “where can I get my gold melted down,” send it to us! We’ll purchase it at 93% of spot price and put it toward the cost of your jewelry redesign project. Spot price is based on the London Bullion Market the day we receive your material.
Below is a great example of how this works. We purchased this client's old gold ring on the left, and applied this value as a credit toward their custom wedding ring and bridal set project:
It's as simple as that!
We can always recycle your old scrap jewelry as part of a wedding or engagement ring redesign.
We can reduce the karat of your gold
You may not have enough 14K (58.3% gold content) in the rings you send me. Adding alloy might take your finished ring down to 10K, which might be enough for you. The ring will have less gold content, but still look like gold. The cost for this is $25.
We can trade your white gold for yellow gold
Suppose you want a yellow gold or rose gold ring and you only have white gold to send me. I will trade out your gold for the desired color, one to one. The cost for this is $50. I exchange your gold at 93% of its spot value.
Here’s my critical point:
We love to update old jewelry. If you’d like to turn old jewelry into new, are wondering how to repurpose old jewelry or what to do with old earrings, or in general are unsure what to do with old jewelry, contact us for a free consultation.
This is our current collection of scrap gold purchased from customers for their jewelry redesign projects. This gold was used as trade. We by gold at 93% of its value towarod a new jewelry project.
Next Steps For Repurposing Jewelry With Us
If you have an idea, feel free to email us your idea or sketch on our custom jewelry page. You don’t have to be an artist! We can work with you.
Need more reasons to work with us?
No phone labyrinths. No customer service agents. No “this call is being recorded…”
With most projects, you and I (Marc) will work together directly — unless I am on vacation. Email me at info (at) Reflectivejewelry.com or call our shop at 888-733-5238.
Send me a picture of grandma’s ring or that vintage ring redesign project and what you want to make. We can brainstorm, and I can quote you a price.
If you prefer or are not located in our area, we can set up a Zoom call for your redesign jewelry consult.
But if you're able, you can always visit us in our Santa Fe, NM gallery during our store hours, or by appointment. (Someone is also often in the shop before and after our hours if you want to call us.)
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We’re a small company of six people, including four jewelers. We have an A+ BBB rating, and have been in business for over 25 years.
Looking forward to working with you!
If you leave a comment with a question, please leave an email address so that I can answer you back!
PS: As promised, here's a peek at Our Artisan Craft:
Marc Choyt is president of Reflective Jewelry, a designer jewelry company founded in 1995. He pioneered the ethical sourcing movement in North America and is also the only certified Fairtrade Gold jeweler in the United States. Choyt’s company was named Santa Fe New Mexico’s Green Business of the Year in 2019, and he has been honored with several awards for his efforts to support ethical jewelry. His ebook, Ethical Jewelry Exposé: Lies, Damn Lies and Conflict Free Diamonds, is available online. Choyt can be reached on Twitter at @Circlemanifesto or by email at marc(at)reflectivejewelry.com.