Melt and Make

I feel that we are fortunate to have a goldsmith working in our on-site workshop as it is very much part of our business heritage that goes back over 115 years.

This month I thought I would take a look at one of the many things we do in the workshop, which we call ‘Melt and Make’. This is when we recycle old gold, often using unwanted family jewellery that has been kept for years and re work this into something new.

I cannot help but admire the expertise this needs and the best way to show this skill is through some pictures of a recent project we have undertaken.

We were asked by one of our lovely clients to melt down two gold rings and re use her gold to make a three stone pendant adding in some of her diamonds to give it some sparkle! With this as a starting point, we set about exploring designs that she liked and focused on key elements that were important to her.

The two rings are placed into a crucible to heat up to a very high heat (melting point).

When the gold is in a molten state it can then be poured into an ingot mould to make a rough gold bar. The ingot mould we use had been hidden away in a drawer for many years and I’m pleased to say it is in use again.

Once the gold ingot bar has cooled down, it is then put through a rolling mill to form the metal into the correct shape and thickness. This may require further heating up and then cooling (annealing) which helps the metal from becoming too brittle to work with.

Once the required shape is achieved, the pattern can be drawn on the metals surface and hand cut with a piercing saw.

At this point you can see the design coming to life! Each of the three settings still need a bit of work before a diamond is set. Careful polishing is needed to remove the rough surface and achieve a flawless finish. A bale is also made for the top of the pendant for a chain to run through.

The pendants are then skilfully set with the client’s stones which require precision to securely hold the diamonds in place.

“Voilà” the finished piece has been completed. It is always immensely satisfying to see an initial idea transformed into a beautiful piece of jewellery. Sally x