Remodeling Information

Chele Clarkin is the founder of the original equestrian jewellery concept, but she is not just limited to equestrian and rural inspired designs; she can bring your bespoke dreams to life!

Rings, pendants, bracelets, bangles, chains, pins - you name it, she can create it - including remodelling existing jewellery.

Remodelling - Frequently Asked Questions

How much will it cost?

This is a little bit of a “how long is a piece of string?” question, as every remodelling project is different.

The cost depends on:

How much metal you have and what carat it is and it can be any metal…gold, silver, platinum and any carat.
What form the metal is currently in — old rings, chains, bangles, etc.
How many stones need to be removed from your existing jewellery
How many stones are being reset into the new piece
The size and complexity of your new design
Whether additional gold or other metal is needed

Every stone that is removed is carefully cleaned, weighed and measured before we decide how it can best be used in your new piece.

If you’re able to come and see me, that’s wonderful, as I can talk you through the whole process and we can explore ideas together. If you aren’t local and/or unable to meet with me in person, that’s absolutely fine too. We can communicate online, I’ll guide you carefully through each step and will only proceed once you’re completely happy with the design and plan.

Once we’ve established a design and I have your jewellery, I can give you an estimate. Gold and silver prices are currently changing daily, which can make it challenging to quote accurately too early in the process.

As a very rough guide, a simple plain band (ring) with a few stones could start from around $500. If additional gold is required, or you have lots of stones to remove and reset, the cost will naturally be higher.

For example, I recently made a chunky ring for a client who didn’t have a lot of gold but had lots of stones to set. That piece came to around $2,500.

On the other hand, sometimes clients have more gold/metal than they need for their new piece. In those cases, the leftover metal can be credited against the labour cost — meaning the remodelling can sometimes cost them very little, or even nothing at all. I have one client who is still in credit!

What if I just want an idea of what it would cost to remodel my jewellery?

Easy! Take a photo of what you have, weigh it on your kitchen scales, and send me a note telling me what you’re thinking of creating.

chele@cheleclarkin.com

How long does it take?

Generally, allow around 4–10 weeks to make a new piece.

The timeframe depends on how quickly the consultations and design process progress, as well as how busy my jewellers are at the time.

And finally, I have to say — I LOVE this part of my job!

I’ve been doing this for over 30 years, and I still get such a buzz from helping someone create a piece that is beautiful, practical to wear and, most importantly, meaningful to them — often from jewellery that already has a special story and sentimental value.

There’s something pretty magical about giving old jewellery a whole new life.

Chele x

Helpful links for ideas