Wedding Bands Makeover – Loving Your Jewelry Back to Life

Debbie’s Grandfather’s Gold Wedding Band. A Symbol of Love, Yet Unworn.

A Makeover for My Wedding Band? Many people have a gold wedding band, or a platinum one for that matter, that needs some care and love to bring it back to beautiful life.

In a way, we still see our band as how it looked when we received it and don’t notice that it’s changed. Sort of like me thinking of my adult son Dan, as frozen in time at 13. (He’ll love that!)

In this post, I’ll show you four projects changing gold wedding bands. Also there’s a platinum one with a makeover and some love. Read on…

Back to Wedding Bands!

I’ll share the four projects I’ve done recently that have brought the wow factor back into my client’s wedding bands. And a client’s re-do that ended up in a magazine.

Project #1 – Debbie’s Grandfather’s Wedding Band

Debbie’s Grandfather’s Gold Wedding Band, Sized for Her and Hand Engraved. What a Transformation! The before picture is a the top of the page.

Debbie loved her Grandfather and inherited his wedding band. She couldn’t picture how to wear it. It sat in her jewelry box about 15 years.

Our first step was to size it down to her size. Then because she is feminine and petite, I suggested some wonderful swirly engraving on the band. It worked and now Debbie’s Grandfather’s love is on her hand.

Project #2 – Steve’s Gold Wedding Band

Steve’s ring was way too tight and we needed to get it off. And re-sized larger. A total candidate for a wedding band makeover.

I brought my ring saw to his home to be prepared, as he told me he couldn’t get it of.

Did you know that if your wedding band is too tight certain jewelers can saw it off for you? See my blog post on sawing off too tight rings.

Steve’s Ring With a Hammered Finish. It Looks Like He Got a New Ring.

If you are interested in the steps to take to remove your ring I also write about that.

Happily while trying the bag of crushed ice and olive oil and twisting method, we thankfully pulled it off. His wife commented that it used to have a cool texture. After showing them some ideas they decided on doing a hammer finish.

First, we sized it larger, then out came the hammer. That was fun. Now Steve’s ring fits well and looks great!

Project #3 – Cheri’s Platinum Wedding Band

Cheri’s Worn Engraving is Lackluster.

I was called in for a simple sizing of a platinum wedding band. She was concerned about what would happen to her engraving when the sizing was done. It would be messed up in the area of sizing.

When we at Calla Gold Jewelry size an exterior-engraved ring like this, we restore the engraving that gets worked off during the sizing and post-sizing polish steps. But if the engraving is old and worn down, the area we hand engrave will look like the Star of India (a big, famous diamond) next to a piece of glass.

In Cheri’s ring’s case, and in typical platinum style, since platinum is quite malleable (movable), the engraving had been pounded down to a softer more indistinct look. Her patterns weren’t really that visible anymore. My blog post about why platinum gets so dull so fast.

Cheri’s Platinum Wedding Band After Hand Engraving. It Makes Her Ring Look Like the Day She Got Married! Click on image to see details

I mentioned that I was familiar with the designer who had made her ring and that his engraving patterns were beautiful. She said, “Yes, it looked so nice when I got married. Two kids later, my waistband has expanded and my ring patterns are muddy!”

I said, “How about bringing those patterns back for you?”

“Worth a try I suppose.” She said.

After sizing her ring, all the engraving patterns were engraved back on in detail. This was done by my skilled hand engraver. In the end, her ring looked distinctly patterned and gorgeous again.

Project #4 Debra’s Mom’s Little Gold Wedding Band

Debra’s Precious Mom’s Wedding Band Made Into a Necklace

In an earlier blog I told the story of Debra and her mom’s little wedding band. She wanted to wear it, but as a plain band she just wasn’t. As a plain band it wasn’t her style.

When you inherit something meaningful but it’s not your style give yourself permission to change it so you can use it.

So we turned it into an element on a pendant she cherishes! Here’s my blog post about that project: Inherited Jewelry, From Unworn to Cherished, Debra’s Story.

Her necklace and story of her mom’s life were featured in Dr. Oz’s magazine The Good Life.

My Message for Your Wedding Bands

Do you have a wedding band makeover candidate? They can be sized. They can be brushed to a matte finish, they can be hammered, they can be polished to a bright finish again and they can be engraved. And there are more choices for textures.

Don’t let the patina of wear make your wedding bands ordinary looking. Bring back their beauty or infuse new style with a trip to the jeweler who will love your jewelry back to life.

Jewelry Beautician,
Calla Gold