Cost for someone to melt down gold and make some rings?

[mrs quoad]

Artichoke and I have various bits of +/- sentimental gold that she'd like to get melted down to make our wedding rings. This makes sense not only bc it'll save us some £££; it's also one third of the wedding rings of each of her grandparents, plus my mum's (she's now too arthritic to get it on.)

Artichoke'd got the impression that 'the going rate' to melt down the gold and bash out a ring was about £200. I had some doubts (particularly when no.1 jeweller on her list was central Cam, and I'd often looked in their window and thought 'fknell that looks pricey, that.')

They quoted £800-840ish, IIRC.

Artichoke was a bit amazed, but has since got >1 other quote for about the same. There're also 'make your own ring' courses at hotels, but - again, no particular surprise - they don't take a mobile gold assaying and melting forge to these hotels.

I'm not particularly surprised by the estimated costs - once furnacing, specialist premises, and man hours (of someone who's presumably at least a bit of a specialist) are taken into account.

Are these really big prices? Or reasonable?

 

[Mrs Magpie]

I dunno, but I reckon it would be a good project for a student goldsmith....

 

[maomao]

This one:

http://www.suelanejewellery.co.uk/pages/make-your-own-wedding-rings

Says cost of metal is additional so may well be open to you turning up with your own. Being a jeweler she may be able to offer advice about melting it down.

 

[bi0boy]

You could do it yourself. You can melt gold in a crucible with a propane torch.

 

[tony.c]

I took my father's wedding ring to a local jewellers to ask how much it would cost to melt down and make into a plain gold band for me, his ring is too small for me. He said £80. £200 sounds a lot unless you want something ornate.

 

[geminisnake]

I dunno, but I reckon it would be a good project for a student goldsmith....

This^^, though this time of year they will be super busy with their end of year show, and if they are finishing this year I'd say you have no chance of them being able to fit you in now.
I can give you the name and number of the guy who made my ring for me if you like but he is based about 300 miles away from you. He made my friends wedding rings years ago so I know he does that. No idea how busy he may be either tbh.
PS imo £800 is taking the piss south England prices.

 

[xes]

You can melt it down yourself quite easily, add an extra personal touch to something already sentimental. You don't need a massive forge, just a few glass beakers, some acids, a blow torch and a potato. (not only would you be melting it down this way, you'd also be refining it to near perfection) I wouldn't know where to start with the actual making of the ring though.

 

[MrSki]

You need to melt it down into a strip or band that can be used as the base of the ring. You would need a ring triblet to make the ring to a specific size. If you just wanted a gold band then a student jeweller could do the job. If you wanted something mounted on the ring then that is a bit more advanced.

 

[DotCommunist]

ask Sauron to do it for you

 

[stuff_it]

You can melt it down yourself quite easily, add an extra personal touch to something already sentimental. You don't need a massive forge, just a few glass beakers, some acids, a blow torch and a potato. (not only would you be melting it down this way, you'd also be refining it to near perfection) I wouldn't know where to start with the actual making of the ring though.

Perfectly refined gold is too soft for jewellery.

 

[mattie]

Ask anyone in Birmingham Jewellery quarter - they can give indicative cost by phone.

You don't actually need to go there, but it is a very good place for a weekend - we had a weekend choosing wedding rings and a weekend picking them up, stayed at Bloc near St Paul's square for less than £40 for the night - 5 mins from jewellery shop and on the edge of Brum town centre.

We went to Number 1 (http://www.qype.co.uk/place/1052163-Number-One-Jewellery-Birmingham) and they took and finished a sapphire the missus had fossicked in Oz - where we met - and put it into a gold band for her engagement ring. They had to do a fair bit to finish the sapphire - it looked like a small pebble when we gave it to them - but I think it only cost about £400 and they did a cracking job. We also got our wedding bands there, and they had to get them made up to fit so they have access to smelters etc.

Lovely idea to use sentimental items for the bands themselves, btw!

(to give an idea of price relativity, we were quoted £300 for each wedding band in Bath, and paid less than £200 for the pair in Brum.)

 

[Cid]

As others have said you can melt gold relatively easily (provided you have a very good blow torch, a crucible, various tongs and implements, skill, protective gear and somewhere to do it), but you'd then have to do something with it... This would either involve casting (which is quite difficult) or learning the basics of goldsmithing (which is also quite difficult).

 

[Red Cat]

aqua got a ring made in the jewelry quarter I think, or was put in touch with a student through someone there.

Nice to hear of people travelling to Brum for something special

 

[Maurice Picarda]

Um. Potato?

 

[8115]

You could do it yourself. You can melt gold in a crucible with a propane torch.

Don't do this. My friend who is very good at that sort of stuff did his and they started to look really tatty after a while, not sure why but it's not as easy as you might think.

 

[sim667]

I know someone who might do it out my way..... she does jewelry courses so could probably teach you how to do it too..... depends whether you fancy a day out in surrey though.

 

[marty21]

you have some spare gold ?

 

[Private Storm]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-21638048

 

[Gromit]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-21638048

You have no idea what a massive deal that is in indian culture.

http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/content/en/mineweb-gold-analysis?oid=141012&sn=Detail

A new report indicates that the gold close to every Indian's heart and in most homes could be well over $950 billion, which in turn is around 50% of the country's GDP in dollar terms.

Gold consumption is part of India's culture and tradition. At $950 billion, the hoarding represents 11% of the global stock, the report has said, making India one of the largest private gold holders in the world.

Indian households hold 18,000 tonnes of gold, says global research firm Macquarie. In a report, the firm has noted that bars, coins and other modes of retail investment during 2011 have also reported a 90% increase, which are all testimony to the untamed demand for the yellow metal in India.

"Gold is very important to every Indian woman. It is the wealth of the women. In most Indian households, gold is transferred from woman to woman, from generation to generation. If, as a woman, you do not have a sufficient store of gold at home or even adorning your body during auspicious times or during visits to the temple, it is perceived that the particular woman has failed in her wifely or motherly duties and obligations,'' said Rajesh Narwicker, bullion investment manager at a foreign bank.

 

[RubyToogood]

http://atworkgallery.co.uk/wedding_ring_courses.asp