Recycling old jewellery with Eva Dorney

Today's post was triggered by a question asked by Goldsmith Eva Dorney:

"Does your jewellery box need a makeover? Why not recycle your old gold and stones and make something special you'll wear every day?"

What a great idea! I got in touch with Eva and before I knew it, we were chatting away at her cool workshop, in her Dundrum home. Eva had carefully recorded the process of this recent commission and I thought you'd all like to hear about it.

Engagement ring with diamonds removed

So now, we're going to meet Barbara, the owner of a gorgeous old+new ring! Come back tomorrow so you can hear all about how to commission a piece of jewellery with Eva Dorney.

"My engagement and wedding rings had to come off when I broke my arm, and they have never fitted my fingers since, so they sat in a drawer for a few years. Then I met Eva, and we were chatting about her jewellery making, and wedding rings etc. So I thought, I wonder if my husband would go for it...thankfully he did. It was around my Birthday, and my husband asked what did I want for a present..."

Eva's sketches for the new ring design

"We arrived at Eva's house and began to go through her portfolio of work, chatted about the kind of ring I liked ( I was hard to pin down!!), and from her portfolio, we liked a particular photo of two rings. We then spoke about how we could do a similar design for my rings. Eva drew up some sketches and sent them through to me."

"She then went about making the ring, and before securing the diamonds, or the additional white gold we added, she dummied it up with silver and the diamonds sitting in place. We agreed which way to go with it, and it was ready around Valentines day."

Melting and forming the gold

"When I saw it I loved it. I put it on and it just felt so right, and in a funny sort of way I recognised my diamonds!! Eva also showed me pictures she took of the whole process, and of the rings and some other small pieces my husband gave me all those years ago, that we added to make up the gold content, before she did anything to them. Having gone through the metamorphosis, these photographs took on a huge importance. Eva kindly sent them to me and I am going to frame a couple of them to hang in the house."

The finished ring with three diamonds

"We were married over twenty years ago, and you do change, your life changes, so in a funny sort of way, changing my rings made sense, without losing the sentimental value. I can't take my eyes off my new/old ring, its like being engaged all over again!!"

Barbara - I love the idea of displaying photos of your old jewellery to hold on to those memories too. And how nice it must be to feel newly engaged again after twenty years :-) Thanks so much for telling us the continuing story of your new ring.

Tomorrow, you'll get to meet Eva and I know she will be happy to answer any of your questions. Have you any jewellery that needs a new lease of life? Post your comments or questions below and we'll get a conversation going.

For more information, check out Eva Dorney's website and Facebook page.

All photos by Eva Dorney