Have you ever thought about transforming your old, cherished gemstones into a brand-new piece of jewellery? At The Workbench, we offer the unique opportunity to use heirloom stones from your family’s treasured pieces, giving them a new lease on life in a ring you’ll love to wear every day.
Why Use Heirloom Stones?
Using existing gemstones you already own, especially heirloom family stones, allows you to breathe new life into pieces of jewellery that may no longer be worn but are still deeply loved. Setting these stones into a new ring can help you cherish and remember the person who once wore them while creating a stunning, modern piece that fits your current style.
Which Kit Should I Buy?
When choosing a kit for heirloom stones, consider the size and shape of your stone/s. For instance, if you’re working with a 2mm stone, your ring design should have at least 1-1.5mm around where the stone will be set and be at least 1-1.5mm deep to conceal the stone’s belly. Therefore, you need to select a kit with an appropriate wax width to accommodate your stone securely. Details of the wax widths can be found on every kit listing under ‘Wax width.’ For more information about designing with gemstones, see our blog post How to Prepare Your Wax Ring for Gemstone Setting.
How It Works
Stone Removal and Setting: We charge a removal fee and a setting fee, the prices of which can all be seen on our price list. It’s important to note that we cannot create bespoke claw or bezel settings for your stones; instead, the stones must be incorporated into your carved wax design using our flush setting options.
Prices:
- Stone Removal- £20
- Setting a Stone Under 3mm- £20 per stone
- Setting a Fancy Shape or Stone Over 3mm (not round)- £65 per stone
Design and Carving: When designing your ring, think about how your heirloom gemstones can be integrated into the wax carving.
You can also mix and match your heirloom stones with any stones from our gemstone menu to create a unique and personalised design. This allows you to blend cherished family gems with new stones, enhancing the beauty and significance of your custom ring.
Take a look at How to Prepare Your Wax Ring for Gemstone Setting for lots of helpful tips, ensuring your new ring highlights the beauty and significance of your gemstones.
Your Heirloom Metals: If you are using heirloom stones from an old piece of jewellery, we understand that the metal is also of sentimental value. However, we are unable to melt down these metals and use them to cast new pieces due to the complexities involved in ensuring the purity and quality of the metal. If we are removing stones from an heirloom piece of jewellery, we can return your heirloom metals to you along with your finished ring, allowing you to preserve their sentimental value.
Secure Shipping
For heirloom pieces, we always recommend using a secured and tracked service. For UK customers, this means Royal Mail Special Delivery. Package your stones securely and always put your return address on the package to ensure safe delivery.
Please note: Stones are sent at the owner’s own risk. The Workbench holds no responsibility for heirloom stones while in our care. Gemstones may have already gone through generations of wear, making them more fragile and prone to damage during resetting.
If you have any questions about incorporating your heirloom gemstones into a new ring design, feel free to pop us an email. We’re here to help you every step of the way, ensuring your new ring is as special and unique as the memories it holds.
Reimagine your heirloom stones with The Workbench and create a timeless piece that bridges past and present.
For more heirloom tips and inspiration, visit our blog or follow us on Instagram and TikTok .