Pieces of jewellery are precious objects that last for generations. Handed from Mother to Daughter and Father to Son these talismans are carried through so much life and hold so many memories. 

Heirloom remodelling is a process that carefully and respectfully repurposes your materials. Rather than creating a new piece of jewellery from freshly mined gold, instead we can melt down your gold and reset your gemstones into new designs. This process preserves the memories that are already in your jewellery, whilst also allowing you to design a piece to your own taste and specification. 

Precious metals are wonderful materials to work with because they never disintegrate, they can be broken up and melted down, endlessly reformed into new shapes for new wearers. 

The ring you see in the photograph above is an heirloom remodelling project that sits close to my heart. When I was 10, my Gran & Grandad passed away and my mum gifted my sister and I a piece of jewellery each from her jewellery box. My sister was given a gold and garnet band with lovely engraved detail - it made sense because garnet was her birthstone. There wasn't anything in the box that corresponded to my birthstone (Pearl) so I was given a very flimsy ring with a stone in the centre the housed the colours of heaven and the setting sun. It was beautiful, beyond beautiful, my very own opal - but I never wore it. You see, when I gently shook the ring, I could hear the stone rattling against the frail claws that held it into place and I was too scared I would lose it. 

For about 15 years, this ring travelled with me, through university, new homes and new relationships, kept safe and sound at the bottom of a jewellery box. When I began making jewellery, I took the ring out of it's box and wondered when I would feel confident to make myself a new ring for this stone. At that time I don't think I expected it to take six whole years. 

By the time I came to have the confidence to work on this heirloom remodelling project, my mum had also given Grandad's signet ring that he had worn every day to work. The gold had worn so thin that the ring had snapped at the back and all the detail worn away from a life time of wear. 

The form of this ring was built from wax and then sand cast in the studio, I mixed Gran and Grandad's gold with a little bit of my own and without diluting their memories I carefully made something for me that is a bit of them and our family's story. 

Sand casting is the roughest form of casting there is, but it allows me to mix metals in my own studio. Naturally, this process of re-using is incredibly good for the environment and as the process becomes more popular the industry is responding. The Responsible Casting Company opened its doors in the summer of 2026 which means there is a much deeper complexity now possible within heirloom remodelling.

I look forward to the day that I can pass this ring on my Daughter or my Sister's Daughter and I know that one day the owner of this ring may wish to change it too and my memories will become part of the object too - and that to me is beyond beautiful. 

If you have some jewellery that you love but never wear, it might be broken or just have gone so far out of style - get in touch for a free consultation and we can discuss a new future for your heirloom jewellery.

With Love,