Give Old Jewellery a New Lease of Life

Jewellery is a very personal thing and when designing jewellery, designers take great pride in creating pieces that exactly reflect the customer’s aspirations. This is a difficult task, but the skills of great designers like Keith Gordon make the process appear much easier. More and more designers today, however, see people bring in old pieces of jewellery that they want to be remodelled. Old jewellery carries much sentimental value and because of the durability of many metals, jewellery lasts for generations. Styles inevitably change, though, and while people want to retain the original charm of a piece of jewellery, they may want to add a more personal or modern touch.

Keith Gordon and designers like him are getting more involved in creating new from old and helping people to bring an old piece of jewellery back to life.

What Does Re-modelling Involve?

Most jewellers, including Keith Gordon, will tell you that re-modelling can involve anything from a completely new creation around the original gems to the simple remaking of one part of the piece. But whatever you envision for your old piece of jewellery, there is a jeweller out there who can help make it a reality. Most jewellers will do the work themselves in their workshop where they can melt down the original metal for re-use, cast a new piece or reform the item by hand.

New pieces can incorporate new gemstones or, alternatively, have the original ones set in a different metal or in a different style. There are many extraordinary ways in which you can restyle that special piece of jewellery. Expert jewellers in the field of recreating old from new are very sensitive to the sentimental value of the original piece of jewellery but are also aware of the need to make it more wearable, dynamic and up-to-date. They will have plenty of suggestions and ideas and can achieve fantastic results.

Why Have Jewellery Re-Modelled?

There are many reasons to get a piece of jewellery re-modelled. You may have a ring that you have had since you were much younger, and although you love it for what it is, you don’t wear it because it needs a fresher look. Even small changes can make a lasting impact on a piece of jewellery. Perhaps you have developed an allergy to a particular metal because of chemical changes within the skin or certain hand creams that are used. Designers can alter a piece of jewellery to change the type of metals so that the allergy is not aggravated.

Sentimental family heirlooms are often brought to jewellers for a makeover. Over the years tastes change, and it seems such a waste to have a piece of jewellery that was once so fashionable stored in a drawer and not worn. Again, a few tweaks and alterations could clean it up, make it look more stylish and current, and give it a contemporary edge. Metals such a platinum and eighteen-carat gold are used more and more in modern jewellery, and jewellers like Keith Gordon are finding that when they are turning old into new, platinum in particular is often requested.

Laura L Bolick is the founder of the F&L Designer Guides, compiled and written to help consumers choose a unique engagement ring design. Hosting designers like Keith Gordon and hundreds of articles on subjects ranging from princess cuts to engraved bands, we have ideas and opinions covering all the options. Offering advice, tips and suggestions on how to choose that perfect ring, F&L will accompany you on every stage of your search to find the right designer.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.