Bespoke; Remodelling Old to New

I was surprised and delighted when a previous jewellery making student of mine got in touch to ask if I’d make a piece of jewellery for her. It would be using some gold pieces she inherited from her late Mother that weren’t her style. J felt that it would be a shame to have these sitting about in the box unworn. She decided it would be best to transform them into something she’d love wearing, I couldn’t agree more! 

Consultation

We had our first consultation via Zoom due to Covid restrictions. I asked J some questions about what jewellery styles she liked and the type of piece she’d envisage wearing more. J showed the older pieces too, so I knew what to expect to be working with. At the end of this meeting we had all the details we needed to form our brief. J decided she’d like an elegant bespoke ring set and versatile pair of earrings inspired by art deco style.

After this first meeting, I went on to create a few mood boards based on what we discussed. The next time we met it was in our local cafe. This allowed me to inspect the jewellery, to find out the weight, carat of gold and identify the stones. It was a great chance to get J’s reaction to the moodboards. As we sat there sipping our latte and tea, I sketched out some rough ideas. J loved what I had in mind and at that moment selected some sketches she preferred the design of. We said our goodbyes and I went on to the next stage of the project.

It’s very important to be on the same page when I’m working with anyone on a design. So the next stage is crucial, which is creating a selection of technical sketches that I can show to J. These sketches explore shape and form from different elevations. I work out how the stones can be incorporated into the design along with measurements for an accurate representation of scale. This helps calculate the quantity of materials and gauge the time that it’ll take me to craft it into existence.

Preparing the old materials

The next time I met with J, she had a better understanding of what I’d be creating as a result of the sketches, informing her of the different options available with each. Once J chose the designs, she handed over the jewellery so I could make a start on this project.

The first step was to unset the stones, measure them, label and store safely for use in the final design. The next stage of any remodelling project is to clean the jewellery to remove any impurities from the metal. This helps to ensure that the melted metal is free from anything that can cause problems during the crafting process. This whole process can take around 1-2 weeks and is very time consuming. It’s important to ensure the best quality of gold is achieved to be able to work with it efficiently.

Throughout the design process I kept in regular touch with J through email, sending images of how the design was progressing. This allowed her to see behind the scenes and get a glimpse of what was happening at the bench. I must admit, there’s an ‘ugly phase’ that jewellery goes through before it looks dazzling which some people may find worrying!

Presenting the new jewellery

Once polished, these pieces are carefully packaged up, ready to be presented to their wearer! I’d arranged to meet with J again. It’s a rare chance to see your reaction when handing over a bespoke piece of jewellery. I absolutely love this bit! J was thrilled with the pieces I’d designed for her. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind me saying that it was a bit emotional too, which took her by surprise. I think these pieces will make her feel more connected to her Mother as they become a different kind of heirloom. 

A few months after J received these pieces, she got in touch to say that she had since found out the opal used in the ring I crafted for her used to be in her Mothers engagement ring. The best part of this story is that she and her partner got engaged and decided to use this ring as her engagement ring too! What an amazing ending and story to continue telling!

Here’s what J had to say about working with me:

The bespoke experience was really special – it was very personalised and exciting as well as seeing it all unfold at each stage. I’m delighted with the result. Thank you so much for all your work and care that you took with these pieces. I will treasure them.

When was the last time you looked through your jewellery box? I bet there’s a treasure trove of pieces you’ve either been gifted or inherited? Or simply forgotten about? You’d be surprised what you find!