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We all have those pieces of jewellery gathering dust in our drawers.
Maybe they’re outdated, they represent a lost love or perhaps they just don’t match our current style.
A small irregular diamond worn for generations has enormous sentimental value but little financial worth. A large diamond from a past relationship has significant dollar value but very different emotional attachment.
Remodelling old jewellery is a fantastic way to preserve its sentimental or financial value while transforming it into something entirely new that you’ll love and wear and that celebrates who you are today.
Excuses to Remodel Your Jewellery
Heirloom Refresh
A treasured family heirloom can hold the memories of a loved family member.
Whether the piece is worn beyond repair or doesn’t suit your style we can work with you to reimagine a new treasure that honours the original piece and reflects your own personal style, ensuring that it continues to be cherished for generations.
Phoenix Rings
A marriage ending is a challenging time but also an opportunity to explore new possibilities. Reimaging your engagement and wedding rings into a new piece that speaks to who you are today is a powerful way to mark this transition and celebrate new beginnings.
Combining Pieces
Merging different items into a single piece creates a unique design challenge but results in stunning, eclectic creations.
Harmonising various gems of differing sizes and quality into something cohesive is often more complex than designing with new materials, but the result is a deeply personal expression of your style melded with the history of the original pieces.
Understanding What's Possible
Is My Jewellery Valuable?
If you're unsure about the value of your stones, take them to a trusted jeweller like myself or visit my studio. I can help by sending them to gem merchants for an assessment or having them officially valued. This step ensures that you make informed decisions about incorporating these gems into new designs.
We are able to assess your jewellery in the studio or arrange for a courier to bring it to the Sydney studio if you are interstate or overseas. You can look for gold hallmark stamps to determine the carat percentage.
Even if a gem is not a financially precious stone, we can design a piece that represents its history and what it means to you.
Can All Stones Be Reused?
It's important to note that not all heirloom stones can be reused. Some might be too worn or damaged. In these cases, it's crucial to consult with a professional who can assess the feasibility of reusing these gems without risking further damage. When removing fragile gems we take every care possible but unfortunately cannot guarantee that the stone will not be damaged in the process.
If a gem has become scratched and worn over a lifetime of wear, many gems can be polished to remove wear by our skilled gem cutters, bringing them back to their original glory.
What Happens To My Gold?
All gold used in jewellery is made up of an alloy of different metals. When melted gold can be temperamental resulting in a cracked rough finish. When you are ready to go ahead our setter will remove all stones and we will sell your gold and use the metal credit to offset the price of your new piece of jewellery.
If the metal in your heirloom is deeply sentimental we can discuss making a simple piece of jewellery with the gold but cannot guarantee the end result or durability of remodelled gold from prior pieces.
THE PROCESS
The Journey From Past to Present
Here's exactly how the jewellery remodelling process unfolds, end-to-end.
Step 1: Initial Enquiry
When you first reach out, I'll offer you a 30-minute call (via phone, Zoom, or FaceTime). I want to understand what you're hoping to create, whether your budget and timeframe align with what's possible, and most importantly, whether we click. Custom jewellery is an intimate process, and I only take on projects where I know I can do justice to your story.
If we're both excited to move forward, we'll book in your design consultation.
Step 2: Assessment
I’ll provide you with instructions on how to get your current piece assessed and valued. We can either do it together in my studio, as part of your design consultation, or I can arrange a courier to pick it up. You can also get it professionally assessed by a jewellery within my trusted network. Once we know what we are working with, we can move onto to design.
Step 3: Design Development
After you’ve paid your deposit, the design unfolds in multiple rounds:
- Freehand brainstorming sketches where we explore different concepts to uncover what resonates with you.
- Technical one-to-one scale drawings with precise measurements and specifications for fabrication.
- Painted elevation drawings showing exactly how light, proportion, and colour work together. Your final design illustration becomes a keepsake, delivered alongside your finished jewellery.
I offer up to three Zoom consultations during this phase so we can refine the design together.
Step 4: Approval, Appraisal & Insurance
Once you've approved the design and we're both thrilled with where we've landed, I'll prepare a final quote and itemised appraisal through Q Report for insurance purposes.
Step 5: Reworking
When you are ready to go ahead our setter will remove all stones and we will sell your gold and use the metal credit to offset the price of your new piece of jewellery.
Step 6: Crafting Your Piece
All Nicole Winkler originals are made in my studio in Sydney by my team of master jewellers, gem setters and cutters. Depending on the design of your treasure we may make your piece entirely by hand or employ some cast elements in construction.
Whichever way your piece is made I will oversee every element and make sure that the final piece is beautiful from every angle and a pleasure to wear.
Step 7: Presentation & Delivery
Most pieces take 6-8 weeks to complete, though it varies depending on complexity and stone availability. When your commission is finished, it arrives beautifully presented alongside:
- A signature, ecologically sourced Nicole Winkler Jewellery box
- The framed and signed artwork of your original design
- A private valuation certificate
If you're local to Sydney, I love to deliver your piece personally with a glass of champagne. If you're elsewhere in Australia, I'll send it via complimentary insured courier delivery.
Step 8: Aftercare & Future Commissions
Our relationship doesn't end when you collect your piece. I encourage you to come back for complimentary cleaning and check-ups whenever you need them. And when the next milestone arrives (because life keeps unfolding), I'm here to create the next piece in your collection.
Ready to Start Your Remodel?
Why Remodel With Me?
Investment Guidance
Each piece of Nicole Winkler Jewellery is custom designed here in Sydney, Australia.
There are many components to quoting including the size and kind of centre gem, complexity of setting and gold weight of the final piece. We can work with you and your budget to create a stunning deeply personal piece of jewellery, starting at $7,000 AUD. I take on a limited number of commissions each year. If you’d like to discuss a bespoke piece, please book your initial consultation early to avoid disappointment.
Ready to Redesign Your Next Chapter?
Frequently Asked Questions
If you’ve ever wanted a piece of jewellery that feels deeply personal or something you can’t find in a store, a bespoke commission is ideal. Whether it’s to mark a milestone or honour a loved one, together we’ll work to create something meaningful and enduring.
Not at all. Many of my clients begin with a feeling or a Pinterest board rather than a clear design. My role is to interpret that and translate it into form through sketches, renders and sometimes even 3D printing until we discover the piece that feels right.
Absolutely. You’ll receive hand-drawn sketches and painted elevation drawings that show how light, proportion, and colour work together. For some designs, I will also produce CAD drawings and / or 3D printed models you can try on in advance. You’ll also have up to three Zoom consultations to refine the design before we begin crafting.
If you suspect your partner would love to be part of the creative process, I offer a thoughtful alternative - the Gem in a Box experience.
Rather than designing the ring yourself, you can select a beautiful, ethically sourced gemstone presented in an elegant gift box. It’s the perfect way to propose while ensuring that they play a key role in the design process. Visit the >>Gem in a Box page for more information.
Re-imagining heirloom pieces is one of my greatest joys, though it’s not without its own set of specific challenges. Whilst we are happy to work with heirloom jewellery, we do not work with gems purchased elsewhere. We pride ourselves on sourcing the most beautiful rare gems for our clients and can only vouch for stones purchased through our trusted network gem merchants. Before I agree to a remodel, I’ll assess your existing stones for condition and suitability before incorporating them into a new design that honours their history while giving them new life. Visit the >>‘Remodels’ page for more information.
Beauty takes time! All my pieces are made in my Sydney workshop by my team of master jewellers and setters. Each piece is made to order and will take between 4-6 weeks to complete once the final design is confirmed. In certain circumstances, or if you require your order urgently, please let me know, and I’ll do my best to have your order made in time!
Bespoke Nicole Winkler Jewellery pieces are all custom-made to be the perfect piece for you and no one else. Bespoke pieces cannot be exchanged or returned for change of mind.
I will, however, work closely with you either in person or via email to show you selections of gemstones, diamonds, or photographs and video clips of stones. I will then draw you a detailed to scale drawing of your piece with several elevations so that you will know exactly what your finished piece will look like.
All my diamonds are sourced from suppliers in Sydney, Australia. Diamonds from Australian suppliers are covered under the Kimberly Process. This international agreement was established in 2003 in an effort to prevent “conflict diamonds” from entering the mainstream rough diamond market. With most diamonds it is very hard to track exactly where the rough material was originally sourced. Exceptions to this rule are larger diamonds from Australia and Canada.
I only use natural gemstones and diamonds. I cannot guarantee that the colour you see matches the colour of the piece, as the display of colour depends often on the type of monitor or device being used.
Nicole Winkler Jewellery will happily repair any manufacturing fault at no cost within 6 months of your finished purchase date.
Please note manufacturing faults do not include:
– General wear and tear
– Plating that has worn off
– Damage from negligence and improper care
– Work undertaken by other jewellers, including re-sizing
– Broken chains
– Broken / bent claws or prongs
– Bent or misshapen rings
– Chipped, cracked or broken gemstones
I recommend that you have your finger sized professionally before you purchase a ring – I’m happy to do that in my studio, or you can have a local jeweller in your area do this for you. Let me know if you would like me to send you a disposable ring sizer in the mail if this is easier for you. I work with Australian standard sizing but can help to convert sizing for you if need be. One ring size is included in any Nicole Winkler bespoke piece, but we need to size it further then there may be a fee for this.
Store each piece separately in the jewellery box your jewels came in. Never wear your jewellery whilst doing heavy work such as cleaning, gardening or renovating. Ideally, it’s best to remove all your precious jewellery when you get home and keep it in a secure place. Take extra care with pearls as their luster can be affected by perfumes, detergents and chlorine.
All gemstones need to be treated with care. Even diamonds, the hardest of nature’s creations, possess planes of weakness within their internal structure. Any stone, when struck at the wrong angle, can part or “cleave”. This is a rarity, though possible.
18ct Gold and Platinum are both malleable metals and will dent if hit on surfaces harder than themselves. Settings may become loose if knocked. It is recommended that all white gold pieces are polished annually to keep them looking as beautiful as the day your piece was purchased.