The Brief

Old Gold, a Love of the Coast, and an Open Brief

The client arrived with a collection of older gold jewellery — rings and pieces accumulated over the years that she no longer wore but couldn't quite bear to sell. She had no specific design in mind. What she knew was this: she loved living on the NSW South Coast, she wanted something wearable every day, and she wanted it made from the gold she already owned.

An open brief is, in some ways, the most exciting kind. Sara had complete creative latitude — and chose to let the landscape do the talking. The result is a wave ring: a sculptural band that rises and falls in a rhythmic profile, hand-engraved with a pattern that echoes the water texture of Kiama's famous coastline.

Have old gold you'd like to transform? Sara specialises in designs inspired by personal stories and places. Complimentary consultations in Kiama or online.

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A collection of old gold jewellery pieces laid out before remodelling The initial pencil sketch for the wave ring design — the concept that became the finished piece

Left: The starting point — old gold pieces assessed, weighed, and prepared for transformation. Right: The initial sketch where the wave ring first took shape on paper.

The Making

From Sketch to Finished Ring

The gold was melted, refined, and rolled into sheet and wire stock. The wave profile was cut, shaped, and curved by hand — the rise and fall of the band requiring careful control of the metal's movement to achieve a smooth, consistent profile. The hand engraving was completed with traditional burins, each stroke applied individually to build the water-texture pattern across the surface of the band.

Hand engraving is one of the most skilled and time-consuming techniques in the jewellery workshop — it cannot be replicated by machine without losing the irregularity that gives it life. The slight variation in each stroke, the way the light catches differently at different angles, is what distinguishes a hand-engraved piece from anything produced at scale.

The finished ring was polished, inspected, and independently valued before collection. It is now worn daily — a piece that carries the history of the gold it was made from, and the landscape of the place it was made.

The completed wave ring — old gold remodelled into a hand-engraved South Coast wave-inspired band

The finished wave ring — old gold, entirely transformed. The hand-engraved water texture catches light differently with every movement, making it one of those pieces that rewards a lifetime of looking.

Why This Story Matters

What Remodelling Can Produce

This commission represents what jewellery remodelling can achieve when an open brief meets a skilled hand and a clear design sensibility. The client contributed old gold she no longer needed. Sara contributed design, craft, and a genuine connection to the landscape of the region. The result is a ring that could not have been bought anywhere — because nothing like it exists anywhere else.

Every remodelling commission Sara undertakes is unique in exactly this way. The starting materials, the brief, and the person who will wear the finished piece are never the same twice. That is the point — and the privilege — of making jewellery one piece at a time.

Common Questions

FAQ: Remodelling Old Jewellery

Almost anything — rings, bangles, pendants, earrings, chains. The existing gold is melted, refined, and rolled into new stock for the new design. The design is limited only by the quantity of gold available and your vision. Sara will advise on what's achievable with your specific material.
Yes — old diamonds can often be incorporated into the new design if they are in good condition and suited to the chosen setting style. Sara assesses each stone at the start of the project and advises on the best approach for reuse.
Most remodelling projects take 4–8 weeks from design approval to finished piece. The timeline depends on design complexity and any additional stone sourcing required. Sara provides a realistic estimate at the initial consultation.
An open brief is welcome. Many of Sara's most rewarding remodelling commissions begin with nothing more than a box of old jewellery and a general sense of what the client does and doesn't wear. Sara will ask the right questions to shape a design direction that suits you.