If you’ve got a drawer full of old jewellery that you never wear but can’t bring yourself to get rid of, you’re definitely not alone.
Maybe it’s an old engagement ring, your mum’s jewellery, a collection of broken pieces, jewellery from a past relationship, or just a bunch of gold that has been sitting around for years.
And this is where remodelling comes in.
Remodelling is actually around 85% of the work I do. And honestly, it’s one of my favourite parts of being a jeweller.
There’s something pretty special about taking jewellery that already has a history and turning it into something completely new—while still keeping the sentimental value of the original materials.
And from a sustainability perspective, I love it too.
Rather than buying completely new metal, we can often use the gold or silver you already own. Your old jewellery gets a new life, and instead of sitting in a jewellery box for another 20 years, it becomes something you actually want to wear.
But the thing about remodelling is that every project is completely different.
I don’t know what you have, what condition it’s in, how much usable metal there is, what stones you have, what you want to make, or how complicated the design is until we actually talk about it.
So, this isn’t really a “pick a price from a menu” kind of service.
It’s a collaborative process.
So, how does it actually work?
1. Start with the Remodelling Inquiry Form
The first step is to fill out my Work With Nadine form.
This is where you can send through photos of the jewellery you have, tell me a little bit about its story, what you’d like to make, and anything else you think I should know.
This is really important because it gives me a starting point.
I can look at what you have and give you a ballpark price range based on the information you’ve provided.
I don’t need you to have the perfect design figured out either. You can come to me with a very specific idea, or you can literally say, “I have all of this jewellery and I have no idea what I want to do with it.”
Both are completely fine.
2. We Work Out If It’s Within Your Budget
Once I’ve had a look at your enquiry, we’ll work out whether the project is something that fits within your budget.
If it does, we’ll then decide what kind of communication will work best for your project.
Sometimes that’s a few emails.
Sometimes we need a phone call.
And sometimes we jump on Zoom and actually talk everything through face-to-face.
I don’t believe in trying to design something properly through Instagram comments or a string of random DMs.
These projects are important, and usually pretty sentimental, so I want to actually understand what you’re trying to create.
3. We Develop the Design
Once we’re ready to move forward, we start working on the design.
This is where things get really fun.
Because I don’t just want to make something that technically works.
I want to make something that you actually love wearing.
I’ll work through the design with you and create a wax model.
Wax is a huge part of my process because it lets us physically see and feel the piece before I cast it.
You can try it on.
We can look at the proportions.
We can change things.
We can make it bigger, smaller, thicker, thinner, more delicate, more dramatic…
Whatever needs to happen.
This is one of my favourite parts of the entire process because it becomes really collaborative.
4. Approve the Wax
Once we’ve got the wax model right, you approve the design.
And this is also where we can get a much more accurate idea of what is actually going to happen with your jewellery.
Once I know exactly what we’re making, how much metal it will require, what stones are being used, what needs to be added, and what the final piece is going to involve, I can give you the official quote/invoice for the project.
This is why I don’t like giving a super-specific price at the very beginning.
I don’t want to guess.
I’d rather take the time to work everything out properly so you know exactly what you’re paying for.
5. Your Gold Comes to Me
Once everything is approved, your sentimental jewellery comes into the studio.
And this is another reason I love remodelling so much.
I get to work with your actual gold.
I’m not just making a random new piece of jewellery for you.
I’m taking something that already belongs to you, with its own history, and physically transforming it into something new.
And yes, I actually use the gold you send me.
Depending on the design and the amount of metal you have, we may need to add some additional metal, or there may be some left over. We’ll work through all of that with you before anything happens.
6. Casting & Production
Once everything is approved and we’re ready to go, your piece moves into production.
This is where my sandcasting process comes in.
A lot of my jewellery is hand-carved in wax, sand cast and then completely hand finished by me.
Your piece isn’t being churned out on a production line.
It’s made specifically for you.
Once we get to this stage, you’ll pay the 50% production payment, and then I get to work.
7. We Keep Talking
One of the things that makes my remodelling process a little different is how involved I am throughout the process.
I don’t just take your jewellery, disappear for six weeks and then send you a finished ring.
There is a lot of communication along the way.
For many projects, we’ll use WhatsApp to keep things easy and informal.
I’ll send updates, photos and videos as things progress, and you can ask questions along the way.
Because things can change during production too.
Sometimes we see something and think, actually, let’s change that.
Sometimes a stone looks different once it’s sitting in the finished piece.
Sometimes we decide something would look even better with an extra stone or a slightly different finish.
I want you to be involved.
8. The Final Invoice
Once your piece is finished, you’ll receive your final invoice.
This is also an opportunity to make any final additions if appropriate—perhaps you’ve decided you want to add another stone or make a small finishing change.
Once everything is finalised and the final invoice is paid, your new piece is ready to come home.
And honestly, this is one of my favourite moments.
Because what started as a pile of old jewellery, sentimental pieces or things sitting forgotten in a drawer has become something completely new.
It’s More Than Just Making a New Piece of Jewellery
This is probably the biggest thing I want people to understand about remodelling.
I’m not just melting down your old jewellery and making you something new.
The process is much more personal than that.
I’m learning about the pieces you have.
I’m hearing the stories behind them.
We’re working through designs together.
You’re trying things on.
We’re changing things.
I’m carving your wax.
I’m casting your piece.
I’m setting your stones.
I’m finishing it by hand.
And we’re communicating throughout the whole process.
It’s a genuinely collaborative experience.
And I think that’s why I love remodelling so much.
Every single project has a different story behind it, and I get to take something that already means something to you and create something that hopefully becomes part of your story for years to come.
So if you’ve got a jewellery box full of pieces you’re not wearing but you know you don’t want to lose the sentimental value of, don’t throw them in the back of the drawer for another ten years.
Let’s see what we can make.
Start by filling out my remodelling inquiry form, send me some photos and tell me what you’ve got.
You don’t need to know exactly what you want yet.
That’s part of what I’m here for.