The Process

At Melissa Tyson Designs, I practice the art of Goldsmithing in an eco-friendly way.  It is an age old practice and many of the ancient techniques are the ones I am still using to create your jewelry today. All of my jewelry is handmade. My absolute favorite metal is 18kt Recycled Gold because it glows with an ancient quality. There are several ways that I create jewelry; hand building from raw materials, melting down your gold and milling it in my studio or carving your ring from a wax mold and using the lost wax casting method to created your one of a kind piece. 

In keeping with my ethical commitment, all of my jewelry is responsibly handcrafted in my studio in North Carolina.  Currently I am buying diamonds from a diamond dealer that is Kimberley Process compliant, which is a certification system that prohibits the trading of diamonds from war-torn regions. All diamonds over 1/3 carat are Certified Diamonds and will come with a Diamond Grading Report.  I have been buying Diamonds from this dealer for over 20 years because of their incredible reputation in the industry.  Each diamond is hand selected by me to make sure it is full of gorgeous sparkles and eye-clean.  In addition, I use Eco-silver, Eco-gold, and Eco-paladium from melted down, already existing materials. Using recycled metals helps to decrease the global demand for newly mined gold and the social and environmental destruction that comes with it.

Often times customers will bring me their family heirlooms that have been collecting dust in a lock box, an unworn piece of jewelry full of sentimental value.  Depending on the quality and karat of the gold, we can recycle the metal and design new settings to transform your treasures into a new and one of a kind creation to be worn and enjoyed.

Please contact me to inquire about the possibility of recycling your gold into new jewelry or using heirloom stones in a new setting.