Heirloom Diamond & Jewelry Recycling
Recycle Your Heirloom Diamonds and Gold Into Jewelry You’ll Love to Wear Again
We believe jewelry is meant to be worn, not hidden in a box under the bed. If you have family diamonds, old gold bands, or inherited jewelry that isn’t quite your style — it’s time to give it new life, new light, and a new story to tell.
At Melissa Tyson Designs, we specialize in heirloom jewelry redesign, carefully transforming your sentimental pieces into modern, wearable, one-of-a-kind treasures.
Why Choose Us?
With over 20 years of experience, we specialize in transforming family jewelry by repurposing the gold and gemstones from your treasured heirlooms, infusing them with our signature handcrafted details. Committed to sustainable craftsmanship, we thoughtfully recycle your mother’s or grandmother’s precious materials, giving them new life in a design that honors the past while embracing the future.
Our Process
Step 1: Consultation
We start with a virtual or in-person discussion about your heirloom’s history, your design vision, and budget.
Step 2: Design & Approval
We create sketches or digital renderings for your review, ensuring your heirloom is preserved and enhanced.
Step 3: Transformation
We carefully unset and reset stones, refine metals, and craft a stunning, personalized piece.
Step 4: Final Reveal
Your reimagined heirloom is polished, inspected, and beautifully packaged for you to cherish.
Heirloom Jewelry Redesign Process
We make the process of transforming heirloom jewelry collaborative, thoughtful, and deeply personal. Here's how it works:
1. Consultation
We begin with a free one-on-one design call where we learn about your heirloom pieces, your style preferences, and your vision. Whether you're drawn to minimalist designs or vintage-inspired settings, we’ll help guide the process.
2. Evaluation
We carefully inspect your diamonds, gemstones, and metals to determine the best way to reuse them. Even if your stones are chipped, vintage-cut, or mismatched, we can create a beautiful new piece with them. Diamonds are safely unmounted, cleaned, and inspected.
Note: We have a gold recycling fee. If you want to use your gold in the project, we can only recycle 14k or 18k yellow gold. White metals such as white gold and platinum get very brittle and porous and do not recycle well. For these white metals we can offer you a credit towards your project.
Don’t worry if you don’t have an appraisal — it’s not required to get started.
3. Design Phase
We create a custom sketch or digital rendering of your new piece, incorporating your heirloom materials into a setting that complements your unique style.
4. Hand-Forging
Melissa personally hand-forges each piece in our North Carolina studio using traditional metalsmithing techniques and ethically refined materials.
5. Reveal & Delivery
You’ll receive a one-of-a-kind piece of heirloom jewelry that’s been reimagined with purpose, beauty, and your story at its heart.
What Can We Do With Your Heirloom Jewelry?
Reset an heirloom diamond into a custom engagement ring, melt down gold to use in a new wedding band, create matching rings or necklaces from multiple family pieces, design a modern bezel setting for an antique diamond and even turn inherited brooches or pins into stackable rings or pendants.
"If it’s not your style — we’ll make it into one you’ll love to wear. Together, we’ll give your family stones new life and new light."
Real Stories from Our Clients
Our Philosophy
We understand that heirloom jewelry carries deep sentimental value. Our redesigns honor these emotions while creating a wearable, contemporary piece that reflects your style.
Let’s give your cherished piece a new life. Book a consultation today!