# melting a gold ring



## Ron Burgundy (3 Aug 2007)

can a yellow gold ring be melted down and changed to white gold ?????


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## ClubMan (3 Aug 2007)

As far as I know "white" gold is actually "normal" gold treated to look white/silver/platinum. So perhaps you don't need to melt things down but rather just get the existing ring treated appropriately?


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## Ron Burgundy (3 Aug 2007)

no i want it melted to make something else........


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## ClubMan (3 Aug 2007)

The same principle would apply I presume. Best to ask a jeweller. What are you going to make out of the small amount of metal in a ring?


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## Ron Burgundy (3 Aug 2007)

i saw a something on a tv show. My fiancees father died many years ago and as part of the wedding i was going to ask her mother for her fathers wedding ring to have it melted down as a nice heart or something special for her to have.

He died when she was one so she has very little.

Also does anyone know a good place to get this done


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## NHG (3 Aug 2007)

I had my both of my grandmothers rings rings melted down and made into our wedding rings - luckily both were the same carat gold.


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## Rebelette (3 Aug 2007)

Ron Burgundy said:


> i saw a something on a tv show. My fiancees father died many years ago and as part of the wedding i was going to ask her mother for her fathers wedding ring to have it melted down as a nice heart or something special for her to have.
> 
> He died when she was one so she has very little.
> 
> Also does anyone know a good place to get this done



For anyone in Cork, the Turkish Jeweller in The Square in Ballincollig has a good reputation for melting stuff down and remaking it.
No connection, have just heard about him from satisfied customers.
Also, normal gold can be dipped to make it white or platinum,


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## losttheplot (4 Aug 2007)

As far as I know yellow gold contains some copper and tin as pure gold would be too soft. Red gold just contains more copper than tin and white gold more tin than copper. So I guess it could be melted and some tin added.


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## Sue Ellen (4 Aug 2007)

Ron Burgundy said:


> i saw a something on a tv show. My fiancees father died many years ago and as part of the wedding i was going to ask her mother for her fathers wedding ring to have it melted down as a nice heart or something special for her to have.
> 
> He died when she was one so she has very little.
> 
> Also does anyone know a good place to get this done


 
Hi Ron,

Nice idea but some realtistic thoughts that spring to mind are that:

Would her Mother be upset at the thoughts of parting company with the ring.

The cost would probably be quite high because of the amount of labour involved in doing the job.

Would there be enough gold in one ring to make a heart or something similar.

Make sure the jeweller doing the job confirms that whatever they are attempting will not fade or discolour in a short space of time.

Some of the jewellers mentioned in this thread might be worth a try.


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## Vanilla (4 Aug 2007)

Dear Ron, personally I think you are trying too hard- between this, the strawberries and the car...( sometimes simple spontaneity is much better)- however I saw a ring in a design centre in cork which was like one large ring made up of about 4/5 interlocking rings of varying colour which worked really well together. I spoke to the owner of the shop as I have a ring of my grandmothers that I wanted incorporatedinto it at the time and it was no problem.


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## Ron Burgundy (4 Aug 2007)

Vanilla said:


> Dear Ron, personally I think you are trying too hard- between this, the strawberries and the car...( sometimes simple spontaneity is much better)



whatever you think, but where do you draw the line ??? is there a line ??? why should there be a line ???

This is a once off day and these are little things, no mad money being spent but the small things can sometimes be better.

But i am gettin her a new car as wedding present so no line yet


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## SarahMc (4 Aug 2007)

Are you sure her father had a wedding ring, many men of that generation hadn't?  If he had, and your future MIL agrees (like sueellen said, its probably of huge setimental value to her, and she may not be ready to part with it), why not have it adapted so it can be her wedding ring rather than altering its intrinsic sentimentality.


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## Ron Burgundy (4 Aug 2007)

i have yet to discuss it but i'd like to know if it could be done before i said anything


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## Sn@kebite (5 Aug 2007)

NHG said:


> - luckily both were the same carat gold.


Would it cause a problem if they weren't?


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## Sue Ellen (5 Aug 2007)

Sn@kebite said:


> Would it cause a problem if they weren't?


 
AFAIK yes it would be a problem because one strength of gold eats into another.


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## Plek Trum (7 Aug 2007)

Niamh Utsch in Dingle does custom made pieces using peoples old jewellery - some beautiful work.  Check http://www.nugoldsmith.com/


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## PM1234 (7 Aug 2007)

I saw this programme and I think the groom used both the bride's parents rings to make the heart charm? I wouldn't have thought there would be enough gold in just one ring to do this? 

Its a nice idea but personally if it was me I'd have preferred to have the ring as a keepsake in its original form or possibly if her mother was happy to do so, have it sized down and used as an actual wedding ring?


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## ACA (8 Aug 2007)

I recently had 3 rings, 2 old and thin (1 9ct, 1 18 ct), and 1 new with white gold (9 ct) melted into one at a small jewellers in Lismore.  The resulting ring is everything I was looking for - chunky and thick, and oldie-worldie to look at, (the colour of the gold is very rich looking because of the old gold)

It has no hallmark, as to get one the ring would have had to go to Dublin to be assayed - but what I love about it is that instead of having 1 ring that I disliked and 2 others that I daren't wear because of their fragility, I now have a lovely piece of jewellery.


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