We often get asked to remodel or remaking existing jewellery. Here is a quick guide of what we are able to do when it comes to working with your own, or handed down jewellery.
If you’re hoping to use your stones and gold from vintage pieces in a completely bespoke piece, we unfortunately may not be the right jewellers for you. While we have based our business model around having the ability to customise and personalise your pieces, these types of projects are tricky for us to take on, especially when the studio is at capacity.
Using Vintage Stones
Firstly, there are some pieces that are absolutely perfect for reworking into a new piece. Our Fleur ring was designed as a wedding band that was so beautifully suited to working with small vintage stones. It has become one of our most loved wedding bands. We can replace one, some or all of the diamonds in Fleur with your vintage stones as long as they roughly match our required stone size.
Likewise, any of our pendants (round and heart) and signets are perfect for adding a vintage stone. Four claw earrings also work beautifully for vintage stones that are a matching pair and are often a very affordable way to use stones in your own bespoke piece. Our bezel set pendant protects older stones beautifully and it’s perfect for softer stones like rubies, emeralds and other coloured stones.
Reusing Gold
If you wish to use gold from your existing jewelry to create a new piece, our options are limited due to the unpredictable nature of vintage gold. Unfortunately, we cannot craft a new item from the same gold, but we do offer a gold buy-back program.
Through this program, you can recycle your old gold, which we sell back to our refiner. The value of gold changes daily, and we will provide a quote during your appointment. We weigh the gold in your presence, and if you choose to proceed, you’ll sign a release form. A small fee of 10% or $100 (whichever is lower) applies. This process is a meaningful way for family members to contribute to a new piece, and it ensures that all our gold is sourced from our refiner, which uses 100% recycled gold and silver.
Remodelling or Remaking an Engagement Ring
If you receive your ring and it isn’t quite perfect, we can help you make adjustments but there is a cost involved in going down this avenue. Changing the setting or the band results in a complete remake of the piece and starts at $2500. This includes the credit for your gold that will be recycled for you when we make your new ring.
If you want to change your diamond shape you are effectively starting the process again from scratch. We cannot purchase your diamond back from you. In some instances, we can restock a stone for a $500 fee if it is one of our signature suite pieces. Re-stocking is only offered when a remodel is being undertaken by our studio.
Suppling Your Own Diamond
If you wish to bring your own diamond for use in one of our designs, please note our strict terms and conditions. All loose stones must be insured, as we cannot assume liability for any damage during the manufacturing process. Q Report offers excellent insurance options for loose stones. Additionally, the stone must be certified, and the certificate should be provided in digital format (a photo is sufficient). Supplying your own diamond typically does not reduce costs, as our business model includes a markup on diamonds we supply. If you provide your own stone, we apply a comparable markup as if we were sourcing it for you. The primary costs in crafting an engagement ring are not solely due to the diamond but stem from the craftsmanship and other elements that bring our designs to life. If using your own diamond, the starting price for one of our designs is approximately $5,000.
