Making a new ring out of an old one

[justginger]

Just wondering if others thought this would be a possibility -- or if it would simply be too complicated.

I have my late grandmother''s wedding band, which is sooooo tiny that even I (who wears an F/3), wear it on my pinky! It''s yellow gold and has the most lovely pseudo-patina on it that could only come from decades of wear. However, it''s getting awfully thin. And by thin, I mean I honestly don''t think it can be much thicker than half a mm.

Anyway, I was wondering if it would be possible for a jeweler to create a new ring over the top of it, in platinum? When I eventually do manage to get an engagement ring designed aand made, it will be platinum, and I want it to match. At the same time, I want to be able to preserve the bit of this wedding band that remains. I don''t want the whole thing to be coated, I just want new metal to be put on the outside of the ring, so the inside will still be yellow gold.

Is this possible? Or too much work? If so, I''m not quite sure what else to do to thicken it up and make it last -- I don''t like the idea of just adding more yellow gold. It seems a bit...ordinary.

 

[litebrite]

It sounds too complicated. Also my friends who have antique rings have generally been counseled by jewelers to not change a thing especially if they have thin bands, and they simply wanted to change out a stone. But I will leave the question of actually plating over part of a ring to the experts.

 

[Lady_Disdain]

You could reshank it: cut off the too thin shank and replace with a new one, in the metal of your choice. This is not hard for a good benchperson. This may destroy the value of an antique, though.

 

[QueenB29]

Could you put it on a chain and wear it as a necklace? Circle pendants are in right now.

 

[Michael_E]

It''s certainly possible to do this, depending on where it is badly worn and how much of the original ring you want to be able to see. I''m assuming that you just want to build up the band portion of the ring, leaving the original top portion alone. If you don''t want to put a new shank on the ring, this can still be accomplished by splitting the gold band, opening it up and fitting it to a groove cut into the outer surface of a plain platinum band and then soldering the two together carefully. Unfortunately the existing patina would be removed during this process, but the original gold would be visible from the top and the size would be correct. The downside is that with the existing gold exposed it would also be open to further wear and tear.

You could also go the other way and fit the existing band into a hollow on the inside of a new band and soldering it in place. You could even have strategically placed open areas in the new band through which to view parts of the protected old band. This would require a custom made new band, but might fit your requirements for visibility and durability for the old band. I hope this helps !

 

[The Ice Man]

Re shanking is a great option. So is making a pendant out of it. Another idea "from past experience" is going to a wax guy. They will create a mold for you of that exact ring but to your desired specifications.

 

[justginger]

I appreciate the comments, though I think I wasn''t very obvious with the explanation of the current heirloom band. It''s just simply the plainest, smallest wedding band imaginable. No top, no stones, no milgraining, nothing. Just a round gold circle.

Like Michael said, I think it would be ok to put it into a hollow of a new band, so the inside of the band would be the original gold and the outside would be the new platinum.

It''s definitely something I''m going to pursue, as I''m afraid it''s eventually going to completely wear through!!

 

[QueenB29]

Date: 8/3/2009 5:29:24 PM
Author: Michael_E
It''s certainly possible to do this, depending on where it is badly worn and how much of the original ring you want to be able to see. I''m assuming that you just want to build up the band portion of the ring, leaving the original top portion alone. If you don''t want to put a new shank on the ring, this can still be accomplished by splitting the gold band, opening it up and fitting it to a groove cut into the outer surface of a plain platinum band and then soldering the two together carefully. Unfortunately the existing patina would be removed during this process, but the original gold would be visible from the top and the size would be correct. The downside is that with the existing gold exposed it would also be open to further wear and tear.


You could also go the other way and fit the existing band into a hollow on the inside of a new band and soldering it in place. You could even have strategically placed open areas in the new band through which to view parts of the protected old band. This would require a custom made new band, but might fit your requirements for visibility and durability for the old band. I hope this helps !

I really like this idea!