Breathe New Life Into Old Jewellery
Do you have inherited or vintage pieces sitting neglected in a box?
We’ll transform your old gold and gemstones into a fresh new jewellery redesign you’ll love to wear.
Preserve its sentimental value.
Since vintage jewellery often carries precious memories and emotions, repurposing your vintage gold and heirloom diamonds to create your new piece is our favourite way to work. Honouring the past while living in the present and being part of your significant life events are what make our work meaningful. By recycling your vintage materials we are also reducing our effect on the mining industry and its impact on the environment.
Repurpose your Grandmother’s diamond engagement ring into an elegant and uniquely personal one for your fiancee, showcasing the old-fashioned, rose-cut diamond.
Melt down gold from long-married parents’ or grandparents’ worn-thin wedding bands to make new ones for your upcoming marriage.
Redesign your wedding set into a new right-hand ring once you feel ready to signify and create closure after the loss of a spouse or divorce.
Commemorate a milestone anniversary by redesigning your original wedding rings to better suit your current design sense and lifestyle.
To get a price quote for repurposing your old jewellery please read about our Vintage Redesign Process below then fill out our intake form and upload a photo of your vintage jewellery. We’ll get back to you within 2 business days or sooner. Once the details of your order are confirmed, we’ll fill you in on how to securely ship your vintage jewellery to our studio.
We’d be honoured to work with you!
“Thank you for creating such a beautiful piece for me. I can’t tell you how many times I look down at my hand during the course of a rehearsal and think about how much I love this ring. I receive endless compliments and inquiries about it, and I tell its story with great pride!”
Carrie Anne – NYC
Ready to get started on the perfect piece for you?
Fill out our Intake Form to get started on your design journey.
The Process
Step 1: Get Inspired
We recommend browsing through our Portfolio of recent work to get a sense of the direction you’d like to take with your bespoke commission. We work within our own creative aesthetic only.
Step 2: Photos of your jewellery
Take a photo of the vintage jewellery you’d like to repurpose and incorporate into a new design. We work exclusively with gold and precious gemstones. We won’t be able to repurpose your silver or birthstones due to their soft, brittle nature.
Photo tip: Place the gems or jewellery pieces in a row on white paper. We often place them on the edge of a counter or book so we can get in front of the row with our camera. Don’t get too close to the items or the pic will be out of focus. We can zoom in on any photo you send to get a closer look. See the image below as an example.
You can upload the images of your jewellery onto our Intake Form below. Once we see the size and shapes of your stones we’ll use them to calculate a quote and create sketches for you to choose from.
Decide which design service best suits your needs.
1/ An exact replication: No design fee required.
We’ll create an exact replica of an existing JwJ design using your vintage jewellery (gemstones and/or gold). No adjustments or changes will be made. We do not replicate jewellery designed by other jewellers.
2/ A Customization
We can make adjustments to an existing JwJ design to accommodate your gemstones and precious metal. We can also source new gemstones and supply our own recycled metal if needed. A one-time design fee of $150 to $300 CAD is required if you’d like personalized images and quotes for you to choose from. This design fee is non-refundable but will be applied to the total cost of your order. An email invoice will be sent to you and the design work will get started once your payment has been received.
3/ Custom One-Of-A-Kind: personalized original sketches created just for you.
A one-time design fee of $500 to $800 CAD is required to start gemstone sourcing, design sketches and quotes. Our design service includes a series of 4 to 6 design sketches and quotes for you to choose from. This design fee is non-refundable but will be applied to the total cost of your order. An email invoice will be sent to you and the design work will get started once your payment has been received.
Here is an example of the design work created for a client wanting a “Customized” vintage jewellery redesign. We’ve created a series of sketches and edited photo images to show the designs we had in mind. Prices are normally listed with each design but not shown here to respect our client’s privacy.
Step 4: Ring Size
Do you need to confirm your ring size?
If you’re unable to obtain your ring size from a local jewellery shop we can send you a plastic ring gauge by mail anywhere in Canada or the US. We’ll ship by regular mail so depending on where you live in North America it could take from 3 days to 2 weeks to arrive at your location. Tell us your mailing address and we’ll send it out to you right away.
Step 5: Shipping your jewellery to our studio
Once we’ve finished the design work and you’ve selected the final design you can ship your jewellery to our studio. We’ll be sending you shipping instructions.
Once we receive and inspect your jewellery we’ll send you an email with images and descriptions showing the weight of your gold and the condition of your gemstones before we deconstruct your pieces.
Step 6
A deposit of 50% is required to start the making of your piece. An invoice is emailed to you and payment can be made by transfer or credit card. A deposit of 60% will be required if a diamond purchase is involved.
We’ll create a wax model for your design to suit the size and shape of your gemstones. A video will be sent to you so you can look it over and give your approval before the gold version is cast. If you’d like any changes made we can easily make the adjustments at this stage.
Here are examples of a wax model and the finished piece.
Step 7
Once your jewellery item has been completed and it’s ready for shipping we’ll send you images and/or a video for you to view. Upon your approval, we’ll send you an email invoice. Your jewellery will be shipped once the final payment has been processed.
We’ll send you the tracking info and then check in with you once you receive your jewellery.
CUSTOMS and FEES
If you live outside of Canada always expect to pay customs fees and tax on your orders – this is not included in the price and is set by your country’s customs and regulations.
Ready to get started on your design journey with us?
Click here to fill out our intake form
Once we receive your form we’ll send you an invoice for the design fee (if applicable) and then get started on your personalized design images and quotes. You’ll receive them in your inbox within a week’s time.
We look forward to hearing from you!
Jeanette Walker
