MY METAL & GEMSTONES
My Metals
I am able to offer re-cycled metals, 'regular' metals which are a mix of reclaimed and new and am able to re-use your old metal. My suppliers are able to ensure, through documentation, that practices are conducted in the most ethically, environmentally and socially responsible manner possible and with confidence I can pass on that knowledge to you.
I have experience working with almost every metal out there:
- Platinum
- Palladium
- Palladium White Gold
- Yellow Gold
- Rose Gold
- Nickel White Gold
- Sterling Silver
- Brass
- Copper
- Titanium
- Stainless Steel
- Tungsten
- Cobalt
Super tough metals like Titanium, Stainless Steel, Tungsten and Cobalt are cool for sure but also require an oxygen-free soldering environment which it totally different from my set up for soldering precious metals. So I enlist the help of a friend and his lathe who can help me create the perfect piece of jewellery for you using these alternative metals..
My Diamonds + Gemstones
I am committed to being able to offer diamonds & gemstones ethically and with integrity. My diamonds & gemstones are guaranteed to be conflict-free and from reputable sources known to me for the past 15 years.
I am able to offer a small selection of re-cycled diamonds & gemstones that have come from client's old jewellery that have been polished and re-graded where necessary. I also have an extensive private collection of exceptional one-of-a-kind coloured gemstones that both the country of origin and the person who cut the stone are known to me. Get in touch to book your own personal gem show!
MOISSANITE + Lab-grown Diamonds
Like natural diamonds, Moissanites and lab-grown diamonds are excellent to use in jewellery that will be worn everyday and can withstand just about anything that life will throw a them. A Moissanite and a Lab-grown diamond are tough and hard. There is actually a difference between the two when it comes to gemstones. Hardness means 'the ability to resist scratching' and toughness means how well a gemstone will wear, 'how much abuse it will take'. Some gemstones are brittle and can chip very easily. Moissanite and Lab-grown diamonds are not and will not.
Moissanite, originally discovered in 1893 in a meteor crater, is a very rare and scarce mineral. Therefore, Moissanite as we know it today is almost exclusively lab grown. See a gemstone comparison chart from the creators of Moissanite, Charles & Colvard, that compares Moissanite to other gemstones here.
RE-JEWEL™
This is a practice, among the most important to me, which involves melting down and re-working existing metal and re-setting existing gemstones into a new and meaningful piece of jewellery, I call it Re-Jewel™. With this process I am able to transform unwanted and outdated jewellery into a more wearable piece for the client that retains the sentimentality of the old.
I have heard other jewellers say that it is not a good idea to re-use old metal for a number of reasons but I strongly disagree!!! My take is that for them it is the harder thing to do and many choose the path of least resistance. Don't get me wrong, it is the harder road and can be even more expensive on occasion, but for me it is something that I feel strongly about being able to do and I do it for about 75% of my clients. From all my experience the resulting piece of jewellery is not deficient in any way! If there is something that is concerning me in the process I will let you know and we can proceed accordingly.
My exception for this process is white gold. White gold is indeed not a great idea to re-use in a new piece. It is on the brittle side at the best of times and when re-worked it becomes even more brittle so I suggest using it as credit towards the new piece. All metal if any karat or colour is able to used as credit towards your new piece. A note about re-using your old gold: I cannot change the colour of the gold you would like to use.