If you have been looking high and low and have been unable to find the perfect engagement ring, you may be looking in the wrong place. Many couples are now creating their engagement rings, as well as their wedding bands, out of recycled gems and gold that they already have on hand. Understanding what types of jewelry can be recycled and the many reasons why this may make sense, may help you to convince your future spouse that this is the way you want to go.
What Types Of Jewelry Can Be Recycled?
Any type of precious metals and stones can be recycled and reused to create new pieces of jewelry without losing any of the quality of the original materials. This means metals that were taken out of the earth hundreds of years ago are still in as good of shape as they were when they were mined. By recycling, you allow these metals to continue to live on without encouraging any additional damage to the earth.
Many people have family heirloom jewelry that no one wears any longer. While the design of these pieces may be antiquated, the metals and stones of the piece can be used to create a wonderful new piece that will blend the old with the new.
If you do not have an heirloom piece that you are interested in having reworked, look in your jewelry box for other old, and even broken pieces. Examples of these may include:
If your family is aware of what you are trying to do, they may also want to donate old jewelry to your cause.
Advantages of Recycling Jewelry
When made from new materials, a little gold produces a lot of toxic waste. It is estimated that for every gold ring that is manufactured, approximately 20 tons of toxic waste being released into our environment. This is because gold mining is a dirty business that is bad for the environment in more ways than one.
Not only does gold mining leave huge holes deep into the earth, the toxic materials used, such as mercury and cyanide pollute both air and water. Recycling your gold allows you to avoid contributing to this type of damage to the earth.
When your engagement rings are made from heirloom pieces or gold that has belonged to both families, it is very symbolic. The melting and joining together of the gold represents of the joining of the two families. Once the contributing pieces are combined, they will stay that way for the life of the piece. Just like a marriage should be designed to be, you will no longer be able to separate the pieces.
Recycling heirloom pieces allows the jewelry to be used and seen. Too often when jewelry goes out of style, or is no longer favored, it is relegated to the depths of a jewelry box, safe, or safety deposit box. There it is often ignored or forgotten. While out of sight, no one is able to appreciate the quality of the stones, or other materials used in the piece. Recycling gives it new life and brings it back to being the center of attention.
Creating your engagement ring out of recycled materials allows you to create unique and creative one of a kind piece for a fraction of what a new piece would cost you. It is estimated that the average costs of a new engagement ring is approximately $6,000. This cost can be much higher depending on where you live and the ring you choose. When you create your engagement ring from recycled materials, you will be able to reduce this cost while still maintaining the quality of your piece.
To see if these services are provided by a jeweler near you, contact a company like P.K. Bennett Jewelers.
Share19 December 2015
When I was looking for ways to diversify my financial portfolio, a friend of mine suggested something interesting. He said that it might be smart to invest in high-end jewelry, so I started looking into it. I found out that many of my friends and family members had done just that--invest in designer pieces that appreciated in value over time. Unfortunately, I wasn't sure what to look for. I had to spend a lot of time learning the ropes before I purchased my first piece. Check out this blog to find out more about high-end jewelry so that you know what to buy.
