Recycling Jewellery- What are the options? Part 2
In part 2 of her series on recycling jewellery, Senior Designer Laurie looks at the ways in which gemstones can be reused
In my last article I touched upon the option of making new jewellery from your own existing pieces by utilising the precious metals they are made from. We all have old jewellery which we don’t wear anymore and it seems a shame to leave it unworn in our jewellery box knowing that certain pieces could actually be transformed into shiny new rings, pendants or earrings. The potential to re-design old pieces into jewellery which better suits your personal style and identity is endless once you start looking into it.
Re-using inherited gemstones
This brings me to re-using your existing gemstones. I have worked with lots of clients who have inherited the most stunning gemstones set within items of jewellery they find unpractical to wear such as brooches or cocktail rings. Or more often they are set in yellow metal when white metal is more their style or the very design of the piece is dated or over fussy and not showing the stone off to its best potential. Inherited stones can be very sentimental as they remind us of the original wearer, so being able to actually wear them ourselves would mean an awful lot. Or it may be that you have inherited a three stone diamond ring and want to share the stones with your two siblings or other family members and how can you do that when they are together in one ring? If this happens all is not lost because stones can be un-mounted and it is possible to actually design a new piece of jewellery around your own stones.
For the designer this is often a really exciting design brief because it means they get to design around unique stones. This is either because the type of stone is very rare and sought after, or because it has a cut we don’t see as much in modern jewellery because lots of antique pieces contain hand cut gemstones and diamonds for example. It is really rewarding to design around a stone with a real life story behind it which is personal to the client. This story then passes on to the new wearer and stones like this can make a really thoughtful way of proposing, for example with a ring set with your grandmother’s diamond to welcome a new member of the family.
Updating your existing jewellery
Some clients have diamonds or gemstones in their current engagement and wedding rings but no longer like the style of their rings and want an update. Wide rings with unusual finishes like wood-grain were very popular in the 60’s and 70’s (and still are today if you love vintage jewellery!) but many people decide to re-design their rings to celebrate their significant wedding anniversaries most commonly the 25th, 30th or 40th and beyond. Melting the metal and forming a new design is a really great option and it’s very reassuring to know it is still the same diamond you were proposed to with- it’s just been given a new lease of life.