Custom Jewelry Makeovers

A jewelry makeover is when Jewelsmith's team of designers and goldsmiths transforms your old, broken, or unworn jewelry into a new custom design that honors your unique story. We can combine meaningful pieces from loved ones into a single new design, reset diamonds or gemstones, and recycle or reuse your precious metals in the new piece.

Heirloom redesign is the process of taking inherited or sentimental jewelry, wedding bands, family rings, estate pieces, and reimagining them into a wearable design that reflects who you are today, while preserving the emotional history of the original pieces.

The first step is a free design consultation with our team of designers, gemologists, and goldsmiths. You can book in person or virtually. We'll listen to your story, look at your existing jewelry, and help you envision what's possible.

Yes. Your personalized design consultation is at no charge. There's no obligation to proceed.

Bring any jewelry you'd like to transform or incorporate even broken pieces or pieces you simply don't wear anymore. If you have inspiration images or a general idea of the style you love, bring those too. If you have nothing but a budget and a gut feeling, that's completely fine.

Most likely, yes. Our gemology team will carefully inspect your gems to ensure they can be reset safely. We love adding sentimental value to your custom piece.

No. We never charge a corking fee. We encourage clients to reset and repurpose their own diamonds and gemstones. We love the added sentimental value and the stories they bring to a new design.

Yes. You can always use your heirloom gold or platinum for recycle credit toward your design, with no limits on how much of the price that credit can cover. In some cases, we can use your metal directly in the new piece if the result will be structurally sound.

Same Molecule Refining is Jewelsmith's process of refining only your gold, not mixing it with anyone else's, so the 24K gold you receive back came exclusively from your own jewelry. Traditional refining mixes everyone's gold together, meaning you likely won't get your same gold back. With Same Molecule Refining, your grandparents' rings stay your grandparents' rings, just reborn. There is a 1-ounce minimum.

On average, a custom jewelry project takes about 6–8 weeks. Factors like gemstone sourcing, recutting, or unusual materials can affect the timeline. Your designer will give you a specific timeframe based on your project and any important dates.

It starts with a free design consultation, followed by a custom design proposal and estimate. Once you approve the design and a 50% deposit is placed, our goldsmiths begin handcrafting your piece on-site in Durham, NC. You'll see your design come to life through drawings, CAD renderings and/or a wax model before final production. Learn more about our custom process.

No. Pricing is based on materials and labor. We work with a wide range of budgets and are always transparent about costs at every stage, no surprises.

A 50% deposit is required once a design and estimate have been agreed upon. The balance is due at completion.

Yes. We offer virtual consultations and have completed makeover projects for clients across the country. We can ship a wax model so you can see the dimensions in person before we proceed.