Why do you need to add new gold when melting old gold to make new handmade jewellery?
Why You Need to Add New Gold When Melting Old Gold for Handmade Jewellery
When creating handmade jewellery by melting old gold, I’ll often add new gold into the mix. While it may seem like a simple process to melt down old jewellery and reshape it into something new, the addition of fresh gold is often a critical step for several important reasons. Here’s why adding new gold is essential for both the quality and longevity of your new jewellery.
- Purity Degradation in Old Gold
Old gold often contains impurities from previous processing or wear and tear. Over time, gold jewellery can accumulate scratches, tarnish, and oxidation, especially in lower karat pieces mixed with other metals like copper or silver. When old gold is remelted, these impurities can affect the final product's appearance and structural integrity. Adding new gold helps to dilute these imperfections, improving the purity of the final alloy.
- Restoring Structural Integrity
Gold, particularly when used in jewellery, is rarely 100% pure. Most gold is alloyed with other metals to give it strength and durability. When you melt old gold, these added metals—such as silver, copper, or nickel—can break down or oxidise, weakening the overall structure of the gold. By adding new, pure gold to the mix, jewellers restore the structural integrity of the metal, ensuring the new piece is durable and long-lasting.
- Maintaining Consistent Colour
Old gold may have been alloyed in different ratios, resulting in subtle colour variations between batches. When you melt several old pieces together, you risk getting an inconsistent hue, which could be less aesthetically pleasing. Adding new gold helps balance the alloy, ensuring a uniform and desirable colour, whether it’s yellow, white, or rose gold.
- Achieving the Desired Carat Level
Gold jewellery comes in various karat levels, the usual in the UK being 9ct & 18ct, depending on how much pure gold is present in the alloy. When remelting old gold, especially if it’s from different pieces with varying carat levels, it can be challenging to achieve a specific purity. By adding new gold, jewellers can more accurately control the carat rating, creating jewellery that meets the desired standard of quality and value.
Adding new gold when remelting old gold ensures the final jewellery piece is of high quality, structurally sound, and aesthetically consistent. This essential step helps to create beautiful, durable, and valuable pieces of handmade jewellery that can stand the test of time.