FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will my order take?

 

Bespoke

For bespoke items such as wedding and engagement rings that have been made using your own sentimental gold and diamonds please allow up to 8-12 weeks to allow plenty of time. Especially if it's before your wedding or for an engagement proposal.

Urgent Orders

However if you have an urgent enquiry just give us a call and we will see what we can do for you! As depending on the simplicity of the design we may be able to fast track it for you.    

 

How much does a bespoke engagement ring cost?

Our Bespoke Experience start from around £2000 including VAT, however If you have a particular budget in mind we can help tailor the stone options to suit you!  Read our blog post here for more detailed information. 

 

How much is a solitaire single stone engagement ring?

If you'd like a classic single stone diamond ring, They will start from around £900 upwards for a new ring or if we have any available you may find a vintage solitaire for less. The price will vary depending on the choice of diamond. The beauty is, that by adjusting the size, colour, cut or clarity, you can tailor the cost to suit your budget! 

You can also choose between natural, Lab grown or salt and pepper diamonds. This means by adjusting one or more of these variations you can get more for your money! 

Why shouldn't I choose an Emerald or Opal engagement ring?

Emeralds and opals are best used in occasional wear jewellery, or items that won't get knocked very often. Such as earrings or pendants. As they can break or chip very easily. Engagement rings need to be made with stones that are strong enough to be worn every day! 

Which stones are best to use in an engagement ring?

It's best to use gemstones with a MOHS hardness of 7 or above. Such as Diamonds Sapphires, Ruby, Tourmaline, Spinel, Moissanite or Alexandrite. These stones come in a variety of beautiful shades of the rainbow, they are strong enough to withstand daily wear and will maintain their colour and sparkle! 

Can you re use my gemstones and diamonds?

Yes! We can remove and re use any sentimental precious stones. 

Please be aware that we take extra care when handling your sentimental items, however there is a small chance that when the stones are taken out of their original setting they could be chipped or damaged. Depending on how they have been set. This will also depend on the type of stones, as some are softer than others. If any do get chipped they can be re polished by a professional stone cutter. Or the new setting could be positioned to utilize the stone as it is, avoiding wastage.

Can you melt down a gold chain?

It's best not to melt chains as every link has solder on it. This can make the gold patchy and brittle. Odd earrings, rings, bangles or pendants are best for melting down. Have you seen our Melted Collection? These can be made with your sentimental gold.

Can I mix different sentimental metals together?

It's best to melt the same colour and ct of metals together, for example if you mix 9ct and 18ct gold together, the item will be marked down by the assay office as 9ct gold. Losing some of the metal value. You can't melt platinum with gold. You could use different coloured metals in the design by making the head or setting in a different coloured metal to the shank! 

Can you reuse my old silver jewellery?

We don't melt down sentimental silver Jewellery, due to the processing cost and time involved. It is more cost effective to use freshly processed recycled silver. We can scrap silver items to be deducted from the balance of a new piece of jewellery. However you may be better off selling your silver jewellery items online to get a better return. 

 

Can I collect my order?

Yes, you are welcome to collect your order, we will send you a collection booking link to arrange this with you.

 

Do you repair jewellery?

 

We don't repair jewellery however if you live in or around Newcastle Upon Tyne we recommend taking any jewellery repairs to K and E jewellery workshop at Blackfriars.  

Can I visit your studio?

Our studio is not currently open to the public, instead our consultations take place in beautiful meeting places around the city! If you'd like to book a consultation to discuss a bespoke design please purchase a consultation here:  https://emmahedley.com/products/bespoke-experience-limited-availability

 

 

How do you price up a custom made wedding or engagement ring?

There are numerous elements that we have to include when making a bespoke engagement ring. Such as;

The number of gemstones and or diamonds (The prices vary per stone)

CAD design

3d wax printing

Metal Casting

Metal weight (this will vary depending on the chosen metal, the width and finger size)

Stone setting per stone

Finishing

Hallmarking

Postage

Overheads

Admin

VAT

Packaging

Other costs if we are re casting your sentimental jewellery

Metal Can Charge (to keep your sentimental metal separate to any other metal in the casting process)

Button (A certain amount of metal is required when casting, to push the metal into the mould. If more metal is needed a button charge is added)

 

We will take all of this into consideration and give you a rough estimate at the start of the process, then we help guide you through the process to suit your budget.

 

Once we've identified the exact stone choices and we've done the final CAD design. Then we can give you a more accurate estimate based on the more accurate weight of the design.

 

Did you know?

Gold is charged by weight, and the metal prices fluctuate twice a day!

So the finger size and width of a design or adding extra stones will increase the amount of metal needed. 

This way we can adjust the final balance if the metal weight or price changes once the ring is cast.