Can I redo an old wedding ring into a new one?

If you're interested in redoing an old ring due to a recent divorce, you're in good company. Thousands of women are ringing in their renewed independence by melting their wedding bands and making new jewelry out of them.

Let's face it, when a marriage ends badly, the last thing a woman wants to see is any kind of reminder of it. Instead of stuffing expensive diamond jewelry in a drawer, never to be seen or worn again, a more productive alternative is melting down the wedding band.

Before melting down a wedding band, it is important to find a jewelry store with a good reputation that offers jewelry melting services. Initially, if there are any gemstones in the ring, they will be taken out and the ring will be cleaned in boric acid and water. Once the wedding ring is clean and free of any gemstones, the jeweler then proceeds to melt the metal by heating it at a temperature of between 1615 – 1761 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on whether the precious metal is silver (fine or sterling) or gold (white or yellow, 14K or 18K). The gold or silver will then be melted in a melting container, using a torch with a large flame. Once the precious metal is melted, it can be molded into the jewelry trinket of your choice.

In this manner, you can create a new piece of jewelry for yourself, be it a charm for a bracelet, necklace, or anklet, or a brand new diamond ring to symbolize your newly found liberty.

A melted down wedding band can also serve as the basis for a gift of jewelry to be handed down to future generations. You can create a new ring or charm for your children, preserving the family jewelry in the family.

Of course, after melting any jewelry, there's always the option of using the money for whatever your heart desires.

• 19
• 15

You could have an old diamond removed from an old ring and reset into a new band. You could also ask a local jeweler to come up with a new design and a new setting for your old rings, just make sure that the designer is credible. While you're at it, you could have the diamonds reappraised for insurance purposes. You could also design your own new ring on jewelry sites which specialize in that kind of thing like this http://www.zoara.com/engagement

• 12
• 12

I hope I understood your question properly, because from what I understood you would like to reuse an old wedding ring from a previous marriage and amend it to some extent in order to use it again for your second marriage. If this is truly the case, I honestly don't think that using an old wedding ring to serve as a new wedding band is a good idea! What woman in her right mind would like to be the bearer of a wedding ring representing a marriage gone wrong in a previous life?! Talk about superstitious beliefs, right? Also, I am sure you wouldn't want a constant reminder of your previous marriage every time you look at your new wife. This really seems like a bad idea and I would strongly advise to refrain from doing so by all means!

• 13
• 29

There's nothing more romantic than a long cherished diamond, even if it was worn by another woman. My husband always jokes that using my late grandmother's diamond for my engagement ring was a perfect solution for him: I would be melted by the diamond's beauty and nostalgic value and he wouldn't have to face the cost of buying a new diamond engagement ring. Well, I don't mind making his life easier, especially because I love the precious gemstone so much.

• 23
• 27