Engraved recycled rose gold wedding band commission
We've just finished this pair of engraved, recycled rose gold wedding bands. Every now and then we take on a commission to reuse metal from a customer's existing jewellery when it has sentimental significance for them. It's fascinating to see precious metals being transformed in this way. We documented the process of making the rings so we could share it with you.
First the customer's 18 carat rose gold jewellery was placed into a crucible and heated with a gas torch. At the same time a steel ingot mould was heated in the same way to prepare it for pouring. Molten rose gold was then poured into the hot ingot mould and allowed to cool into a solid bar. It is important to heat the mould prior to pouring so that the molten metal can flow nicely into the mould before it hardens.
The newly-poured bar of rose gold was then removed from the mould and gradually milled down into wire. We then worked the 4mm wire into sheet before cutting, bending and soldering it to form the two matching wedding bands.
Below are some images of the process of making the rings, from start to finish:
The finished rose gold wedding bands are brushed to a soft matt finish on the outside, which contrasts with the highly polished inner surface. The inside of each wedding band is engraved with their partner's name and the date of the wedding.