Jewellery is more than an object of beauty - it has the power to convey stories, memories, and emotion behind it. But what if that much-loved piece doesn't fit your style anymore, or is just gathering dust in a drawer? That's where the magic of jewellery remodelling begins.

Remodelling allows you to breathe new life into inherited heirlooms or outdated designs, creating bespoke jewellery that reflects your current tastes while preserving the story behind each element. It’s a conscious, sustainable, and economically sound way to celebrate the past and embrace the future.

With current cost of living pressures, many are re-evaluating their spending habits and seeking more meaningful and sustainable ways to invest in the things they love. 

Jewellery remodelling is a thoughtful alternative to buying new. Gray Reid Gallery is one of the few Melbourne jewellers that specialises in jewellery remodelling - helping clients redesign old jewellery and remake engagement rings into pieces that resonate with their current tastes and style, while honouring the memories and sentiment embedded within.

A New Era for Sentimental Jewellery

Jewellery is deeply personal. Whether inherited from a loved one or gifted on a meaningful occasion, it often holds far more emotional value than just aesthetic appeal. As tastes evolve and lifestyles change, many people find themselves with beautiful pieces that no longer suit their style or are simply unworn. 

Rather than letting these treasures sit in a drawer, jewellery remodelling offers a compelling alternative: to honour the past while creating something new, wearable, and deeply personal.

In the current economic climate, with the cost of living rising steadily, remodelling jewellery is also a practical and cost-effective alternative to purchasing something new. Rather than starting from scratch, you can repurpose the precious materials and stones you already own, investing in craftsmanship and design rather than additional resources. It's a conscious choice that reflects not only your values but also your story.

The Remodelling Process 

Our remodelling process is collaborative, bespoke, and utilizes traditional craftsmanship and techniques. Here’s what you can expect when you embark on your remodelling journey with us:

1. Consultation and Discovery

We begin with a one-on-one consultation in our Collins Street showroom. Here, we take the time to understand the story behind your piece, your vision for the new design, and how you want it to feel and function. Whether you're looking to remake an engagement ring or redesign old jewellery into a new setting, this is where the creative process begins.

We’ll evaluate the condition and quality of your existing jewellery, including any gemstones and metals. If there are heirloom diamonds, sapphires, or other stones, we will inspect them for wear and suitability for resetting.

2. Design Development

Once we understand your vision, we begin designing. Some clients arrive with a clear idea of what they want, while others prefer to be guided through options. Our in-house designers work with you to explore styles, settings, and forms that feel aligned with your personal taste.

This stage is also where we consider contemporary reinterpretations: perhaps you wish to modernise a traditional ring with a sleek bezel setting, turn a brooch into a pendant, or create a simple stacking ring from multiple small stones.

3. Material Recovery and Preparation

Reusing existing materials is one of the most rewarding and sustainable aspects of the remodelling process. Whenever possible, we melt down your existing gold or platinum to reuse in the new design. Not all metals can be reused directly (depending on purity or previous treatments), but we always strive to repurpose where practical.

Gemstones are carefully removed, cleaned, and often re-polished to restore their brilliance. If you have broken or odd pieces—a single earring, a damaged ring, or a loose stone—these too can be creatively incorporated into a new, cohesive piece.

4. Handcrafting Your New Piece

Once the design is approved and materials prepared, your jewellery is brought to life in our on-site workshop. Our master jewellers use traditional gold and silversmithing techniques to handcraft each element with precision and care. This stage ensures that your new piece is not only visually stunning but structurally sound, with longevity in mind.

5. Final Presentation

When complete, your reimagined piece is presented in a Gray Reid Gallery box.  A valuation can also be provided, detailing the new design for insurance or documentation purposes. You receive a beautifully finished piece that carries on the meaning of the original, now reworked into a design you'll treasure for years to come.

Reinventing for Contemporary Appeal

One of the most common reasons clients visit us for Melbourne jewellery remodelling is to get old or inherited jewellery pieces to blend with current style. Some of the ways we recast traditional jewellery in new forms are listed below:

• Minimalist Settings: Reaming out elaborate or outdated settings and opting for clean lines and space gives gemstones a more contemporary prominence.

• Stacking Rings: Multiple heirloom rings can be disassembled and reorganized into a harmonious set of stackable rings, each one honoring a family member or achievement.

• Mixed Metals: Mixing white, yellow, and rose gold can create contrast and a modern look while maintaining respect for the original material.

• Pendant Transformations: Brooches or rings can be transformed into pendants, allowing them to be more easily worn and versatile.

• One of a kind sculptural pieces: For someone looking for something truly making a statement, ancient materials are reinterpreted as daring, architectural works of art with contemporary appeal.

Sustainability and Responsible Jewellery Practices

At Gray Reid Gallery, ethical production and sustainability is at the heart of our practice. With the world increasingly environmentally aware, choosing to recreate antique jewellery is a great way of reducing waste and lessening demand for newly mined material, as well as the massive carbon footprint that the lab-grown (factory made) gems demand.

Remodelling also contributes to a circular economy within the jewellery industry. By repurposing what already exists; metals and stones, we are reducing the need for extraction and production, both of which have significant environmental footprints.

In addition, Gray Reid gallery uses ethically sourced materials when new elements are required. We work with trusted gemstone suppliers and refiners who share our commitment to responsible practices.

The Emotional Legacy of Remodelled Jewellery

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of jewellery remodelling is the emotional continuity it offers. When a piece is transformed, it doesn’t lose its history, it gains a new chapter. Clients often tell us how meaningful it is to wear a piece that once belonged to a parent or grandparent, now redesigned to reflect their own life and taste.

Remade engagement rings carry forward love stories, while inherited pendants become everyday reminders of loved ones. There is something uniquely beautiful about carrying history with you, not as it was, but as it fits into your life today.

Why Choose Gray Reid Gallery?

We consider it a great honour to be entrusted with your treasured pieces. As an independent Melbourne jeweller and proud member of the Gold and Silversmiths Guild of Australia, we uphold the highest standards of traditional craftsmanship, integrity, and care. 

Remodelling jewellery is an intimate and personal process, and our clients place their trust in us to handle their most meaningful pieces with respect and skill. Whether you're looking to remake an engagement ring, redesign old jewellery, or explore a bespoke creation from existing materials, our team is here to guide you through every step.

Creating a new narrative.

Jewellery remodelling is more than a trend - It’s a way to honour the past, embrace the present, and create something lasting for the future.

Visit us at Gray Reid Gallery on Collins Street to explore the possibilities. Let us help you transform your old treasures into new masterpieces that are made to be worn, loved, and passed on.

Book a remodelling consultation.