Why Old Gold Can’t Be Used in Intricate Jewellery Designs
At Nowlan Jewellery Co., we love breathing new life into your sentimental treasures. Whether it’s a gold ring passed down through generations or a piece that holds deep personal value, we understand the importance of reusing and recycling old gold. However, one common question we get is: “Why can’t my old gold be used for a more intricate custom design?”
Let’s break down the reasons why old gold is best suited for simpler handmade pieces — and not complex, delicate designs.
1. Old Gold Becomes Unpredictable After Melting
When old gold is melted down, it undergoes structural and chemical changes. Over time, gold absorbs impurities from the environment or from previous repairs. These impurities can:
Make the metal brittle or porous
Cause cracking during rolling, bending, or setting stones
React poorly with new alloys or solders
This unpredictability makes old gold unreliable for delicate work like filigree, detailed engraving, or stone-set rings where precision and strength are essential.
2. Fine Jewellery Requires Consistency
Intricate designs — especially those involving claws, fine bezels, or multiple settings — require gold that behaves consistently. Jewellers need to know exactly how the metal will respond to tools, heat, and pressure. Freshly alloyed gold (usually from a trusted refinery) provides that consistency.
Old gold, on the other hand, varies in karat, composition, and even how it melts. Even if it’s marked 18ct, it may have been altered over time through resizing, polishing, or repairs — all of which affect its structure.
3. Reworking Old Gold Is Time-Consuming and Risky
While we can reuse old gold in some cases, it’s much more labour-intensive. It often needs to be:
Cleaned and refined
Tested for karat and purity
Remelted multiple times
This process increases the chances of metal failure or flaws. For intricate work, where every curve and setting must be perfect, this risk is simply too high.
4. What Old Gold Is Perfect For
Don’t be discouraged! Old gold is still an incredible resource for simpler handmade pieces. It works beautifully for:
Bands – classic wedding or stacking rings
Bangles – solid or lightly textured styles
Disc Pendants – minimalistic pieces that can be hand-stamped or engraved
These styles don’t require the same level of precision or complexity and allow your sentimental gold to shine in a way that’s both meaningful and practical.
5. A Sustainable and Sentimental Choice
Using old gold in simple handmade jewellery is not just a technical choice — it’s a sustainable and sentimental one. It reduces waste, saves resources, and lets your heirloom gold become part of your everyday story.
If you’re dreaming of a new piece that honours your past, we’ll help you choose a design that complements the strengths of your gold. And if your heart is set on an intricate custom piece, we can still incorporate your old gold’s story — for example, by creating a simpler companion piece or trading it in toward newly refined gold for the final design.
Want to reuse your old gold? Book a design consultation at Nowlan Jewellery Co. and let us help you create something beautiful and meaningful — with craftsmanship and care.