Material Assessment
The process starts with a careful, hassle-free assessment of your existing jewellery to determine the best route forward.
Honouring Your Past, Designing Your Future
Jewellery remodelling is the ultimate form of sustainable luxury - it honours the sentiment of your existing pieces while creating a completely new heirloom. At Ellie's Ludlow workshop, we specialise in transforming your old silver, solid gold, and platinum into a unique, modern jewel. This is a personal collaboration where every decision is guided by the integrity of your materials and the desire for a distinct, one-of-a-kind design.
Metal Viability :
Melting Down vs. Trading In
Initial Check: It is essential to inspect the pieces (ideally in person or via high-quality photographs) to confirm if the metal is suitable for melting down and re-forging.
Trade-In Option: If the metal cannot be melted and reused (due to alloy contamination or complexity), it can be traded in against the cost of the new metal required for your design, ensuring zero waste.
Stone Viability :
Gem Assessment
Inspection: All gemstones are inspected to ensure they are structurally sound for resetting.
Replacements: If your existing stones are not suitable, or if the new design requires a different size/cut, I can supply new, like-for-like stones or source something entirely new for your design.
Choosing Your Remodelling Route
Based on the assessment and your desired final design, we determine the best construction method.
Best for Simple Designs
Route A: Melting Down & Hand-Forging
The Process :
If suitable, your old metal is melted down and then formed into sheet, wire, or nuggets.
Design Limitations :
Designs made directly from this melted-down metal must remain fairly simple (e.g., plain bands, simple bezel settings, organic shapes), as the metal's structure is better suited for hand-forging rather than intricate casting.
Important Note :
Please be aware that a small amount of metal weight will be lost during the refining and melting process.
Hallmarking Alert (Crucial for Gold) :
If gold jewellery of different carat weights is melted together, the final resulting metal will be hallmarked at the lowest carat weight. We will discuss this choice with you, as not all clients desire hallmarking for melted mixed gold.
Best for Intricate Designs
Route B: Trade-In & Casting
The Process :
If you desire a more intricate, detailed, or complex design (such as fine claw settings or filigree), the best approach is to trade in your old metal and cast the new design into fresh, certified metal.
The Advantage :
This ensures the maximum security and consistency required for complex, modern jewellery structures.
Ellie's Craftsmanship Promise
Regardless of the route, my unwavering commitment to originality and hand skills remains central to the process.
How to
Start Your Remodelling Collaboration
Starting your sentimental transformation is easy and hassle-free.
- Share Your Inspiration: Provide an initial idea of what you would like to have made (e.g., a simple ring, a pendant, a completely new design).
- Send Photos: Send clear photos of the pieces you have for remodelling. This helps determine the metal type and assess stone viability.
- Book Your Consultation: We will then schedule a consultation (in person, via video, or phone) to work out the best route (Melting vs. Trade-In) and begin the design brief.
Next Steps
Pricing
Getting an Estimate: For an exact quote and estimate of price, it is highly recommended to see and weigh your pieces in person.
Weight Matters: Most remodels (even via the melting method) will require the addition of new metal to meet the weight and stability requirements of the new design, and the weight of this new metal will affect your final quote.