Heirloom gold 101: A guide to transforming gold into new jewellery

At Wild Fawn, sustainability is at the heart of every piece of jewellery we make. From using recycled metals and ethically-sourced gemstones, to repairing or reimagining existing jewellery like family heirlooms.

Many customers come to us to turn their treasured heirloom jewellery pieces into something new and wearable, and we love hearing their stories as we create a new sentimental piece. Today we're breaking down what is involved in reworking heirloom gold into new bespoke jewellery - read on to discover how it works, what it might cost, and what we can make with your treasured gold.

What we can make with your heirloom gold

Using your gold, we can create meaningful designs such as wedding rings, signet rings, or pendant necklaces — timeless pieces that carry your story into the future.

We use two main methods:

We can also set gemstones or diamonds (either newly and sustainably sourced by us, or your own) into your new design, adding another layer of meaning and making it completely unique.

How we work with your heirloom gold

Every piece of heirloom jewellery has its own history, and we see that as part of its beauty. Because of that, we carefully assess each item before we start. Most solid gold pieces, such as rings, pendants, and earrings, can be melted down and reused.

• We often combine multiple heirloom pieces (like two wedding rings) into one, creating a piece that symbolises family connections.
  
• Occasionally, we’ll recommend adding a small amount of pure gold to strengthen or stabilise your heirloom gold. This ensures the piece will be durable and wearable for many years.
  
• If extra weight is needed for your chosen design, we’ll let you know the additional cost before we begin.
  

Pricing

Working with heirloom gold starts at £495. This would be the price of something like a wedding ring that needs no extra gold adding and no stones. The price depends on the intricacy of the design that you would like and whether we need to add any gold to make your design. 

Heirloom gold gallery

Discover some of our recent bespoke pieces created using our customers' heirloom gold below. Perfect for inspiration and an idea of what might be possible for your design.