What really happens when you redesign your grandmother's ring

The ring is usually in a drawer. Sometimes it is in a safe, or a jewelry box that has not been opened properly in years. It belonged to somebody who mattered, it is not quite wearable as it stands, and the guilt of not wearing it has become part of owning it.

Redesign or restoration is the natural conclusion. But handing over something irreplaceable to a stranger is a genuinely hard thing to do, so here is exactly what happens, in the order it happens, including the parts that carry risk.

First, we look at it before we plan anything

The first appointment is a design conversation and an assessment. We look at the strength and stability of what you have brought: the condition of the stones, whether any are chipped or already under stress, how worn the metal is, and how the piece was originally constructed.

This step matters. There is no point drawing something beautiful around a stone that cannot safely be moved. The removal and setting of gemstones inherently involves pressure, manipulation, and contact with both the gemstone and its setting. Gemstones may contain visible or concealed previous damage, or other characteristics that increase the risk of breaking, or otherwise being damaged during removal or resetting. Some of these conditions may not be detectable while the gemstone remains mounted.

What happens to your stones

In almost every redesign, the stones are the main feature point. They are removed from the old setting before anything else happens, checked individually, and set aside. They are not melted with the metal, and they are not sent anywhere. Diamonds in good condition travel between settings easily. Softer stones, emeralds especially, need more care and sometimes need to be treated as the limiting factor in the design.

You will know before work begins which of your stones we are confident about and which ones carry more risk.

What happens to your gold

This is the part people are most often surprised by, so it is worth saying plainly. We usually do not physically reuse old gold in a new piece.

Gold that has been worn for thirty or fifty years has foreign alloys, repair solder, and unpredictable factors when it is cast again. Building a piece, meant to last another lifetime, out of metal with history is a compromise that shows up later. Contact Katalyst Jewellery and ask us what is possible with your sentimental gold.

The risk, stated properly

Setting a stone puts more pressure on it than anything else it will experience, apart from being knocked hard against something. That is simply true of the work, at every bench, everywhere.

Most stones come through it without incident. Occasionally one does not, and it is almost always a stone that was already compromised in a way that was not visible from the outside. There is a short agreement to sign covering client-provided stones, which is standard across the trade.

We would rather tell you this before you decide than have you find out about it from a form afterwards. It is a risk taken together, with our judgement on your side of it.

What you approve, and when

• You see drawings first. Often more than one direction, so you are choosing rather than accepting.
• When the drawing is right, we create a wax model and/or 3D digital rendering of your piece.
• We have the option to view stones in their intended positions before anything is committed.
• A firm quote comes with the finished design. Production starts only after the design is approved.

What it costs, honestly

The price of the piece depends entirely on what you are making, which is why we quote against a finished design rather than guessing in advance. Most redesigns run eight to ten weeks from the first conversation.

When the answer is not to redesign

Sometimes a piece is better left exactly as it is. Period pieces with intact original workmanship can be worth more, and mean more, unaltered. If that is what you have brought us, we will advise you on care and preservation.

And if you have inherited a box rather than a ring, start with an estate evaluation instead. An hour going through everything tells you what is worth appraising, what is worth remaking, and what is material value. Then you can decide what deserves a second life.

Redesign