Using Old Gold For an Engagement Ring

A client sent me some very sentimental gold (passed down from loved ones). I melted it down and cast a new custom engagement ring and wedding band.
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Video Description: Many people wonder if it's possible to use their own gold for a custom jewelry project. Many jewelry stores tell people that they will not use old gold for new rings. I have found that it is very much possible to use old gold for new rings as long as fresh alloy is mixed in with the casting. This ensures that the casting comes out clean and free of defects. A lot of people have gold that was passed down to them from family members. They are unsure of what to do with it. While it might be tempting to sell your gold to a gold buyer, you can rarely get much for it. That's why I always enjoy recycling gold in a new gold project. After I designed the wedding set in CAD, the wax models were 3D printed. I then took those wax models and sprued them up. The wax rings were then invested and and burned out in what is called the lost wax casting process. After the flask is heated up, the gold is melted down in the crucible and cast using a centrifuge. The rings are then cleaned up, the 2 carat moissanite is set in a 4 prong setting, and the rings are brought to a high polish. The project was very fun to do! Just know that it almost always possible to use old gold for new rings. It just needs to be done the right way.

[@moderngoldsmith]

So, did you earn your stack of pancakes?

[@alicev6682]

Of course!🥞🤣

[@missyrnmissyrn7479]

Yes! Stunning set of rings 💍

[@chelseycastro8112]

So far you owe me a basket of fries and a stack of pancakes 😁😅

[@ponik18963]

That was great. When do i get my pancakes?😂

[@itsjojo3392]

What happens to the wax

[@ab-jp5vd]

i work as a dental tech and this has been really interesting to see and compare to my own process of making dental crowns out of metal

[@turnamandal4774]

I am a dentist and I was also going to comment this !!

[@eduerondu9845]

Can you or Turna Mandal elaborate? What differences do you see? Could this process be improved? I'd imagine the tools for dentistry are more advanced.

[@prophyprincess21]

I work in dental and I thought the same thing too! 😂

[@rikusauske]

Yeah. You can make rings out of gold crowns if you collect enough of them.

[@aredditor4272]

​@@rikusauske possibly superior alloy to what a jeweler might use.

[@MsTwissy]

You should wear a respirator man. Years of exposure to stuff like that adds up. It doesn’t seem like a big deal but trust me. It. Adds. Up.

[@richardmarquez7349]

It even multiplies

[@sajidakhatoon4907]

@@richardmarquez7349 du-

[@1100101food]

you could say it'd be an investment.

[@blankoko]

Please do! Take care of yourself.

[@KP-hp3bg]

Yeah you need PPE

[@mhall331]

This was amazing! I was given my dads wedding band after he passed away and I really wanted to use it for my future wedding ring but I was told by several jewelers that it wasn’t possible, but I am SO glad to see now that it is!

[@jamesbizs]

Lol. What?? Why? You need to find a better jeweler.

[@Hypnotically_Caucasian]

Yeah don't mention that you want to use it for a * wedding * ring since they might just be refusing service so you'll buy something really expensive instead of something sentimental. You can still use your dad's ring though 😉 just don't tell the jewellers that

[@marissahartshorn7049]

Seems relevant here: When my dad proposed to my mother they were living in Alaska without a penny to their names, he proposed with a gumball machine ring his sister sent as a joke. 30 years later he brought every fleck of gold he'd panned to a jeweler and had them clean and purify it and had exact replicas of that gumball machine ring made for my mother and I. It's one of the most precious things I own because of the story and how much work he put into even getting the gold to do it himself. Now someday my children will have that story and those rings. (Also worth noting, it was not an exact replica as they DID decide to leave out the adjustable band. But other than that, exact.)

[@matthewdevine113]

I want to see a picture of that!

[@michellemaistry8587]

Jewelry design was supposed to be my career move .. BUT life had other plans for me. It's still my passion though and watching you design those rings, made me smile because of your love of doing it

[@dark-starchemistryfabricat2405]

You could get a small crucible, delft clay and a gas torch from your local hardware store for about $40,..every thing you need for entry level molding/melting

[@jorgeo1492]

Kids

[@bayleighbabin8342]

This video felt very NatGeo to me. “The gold has now found it’s new home.” Quality content.

[@bored7949]

😂underrated

[@bustergonad3975]

Dude sorry to be a knocked to your beautiful talents...but the ring on the right. The stoneless one appeared to be unfinished. There was a definite flatness where the jewellers saw CUT off too much. Even filing it with YOUR long strokes could blend in what had already been removed. The are in question was where it was connected to the spruce. In Toolmaking terms you removed too much of the gate area. Just saying. If I was the client. It would have been...make it again..or add material using a laser. I still give you 9/10

[@AlexOvechkinSucks]

@@bustergonad3975 I noticed that too. Both when cutting, and also at the end 😂 The quality of the video was exceptional, but with such high attention to detail, I was a little confused. Not complaining though. The guy 100% earned a sub.

[@AYearWithoutInternet]

Came for Ariana, stayed for soothing narrations.

[@ximerah16]

Same 😂

[@vickash07]

Same, now I’m subscribed!!

[@saphmgv2188]

Me too

[@aidanross9676]

I came ariana.. stayed for flap jacks lol

[@ashleyfrasca8585]

Came for Ariana, stayed for the soothing narrations and the amazing explanation of making amazing jewelry! Also now subscribed!

[@1COMIXMAN]

I miss doing this so much. I apprenticed with a nice Jewish gent who owned a local jewelry st or for well over 50 years. He taught me how to do everything you've shown here. It was fun. During those years every gift to females in my family were made by me. My great niece her first earrings were made by me, my grandma's favorite ring other than her wedding ring made by me. It was a silver east west teardrop setting with a black Tahitian pearl in the large end. I did use gold but preferred silver. I still have alot of stones I bought when I was working with him but sadly he passed away and his kids closed shop.every other place in town was like zales. Big companies who didn't do apprenticeship so i gave it up as a profession and now it's just a hobby if I feel like putting something together with what I have but materials are so pricey nowadays.

[@mystrength5640]

Please wear a Mask, when using the Toxic Powder mix! Jenny R.N. You are soo talented!

[@moderngoldsmith]

Thank you! I have been :)

[@OctopieOccult]

@@moderngoldsmith googling this leads to some pretty horrifying results. I'm assuming your investment medium has silcia dust in it, which can lead to silicosis if inhaled. Particulate Respirator (P95, K95, N95, KN95) will protect your lungs.

[@ML-do5ii]

I’ve never wanted to cry watching a ring being made before. The music and when he said “the gold is finding its new home.” That hit

[@bethiebooya]

Did you see his video about the Mother's Ring he made for his wife? Ohhhhhh. MY. GOSH. 😭😭😭

[@ellenlucks2957]

Thank you for reminding me how much I love this work! It's been 40 years since I left the amazing art & science of the jewelry & dental labs behind to raise a family. I didn't realize how fortunate I was to have access to ALL that equipment. Impressive!

[@jsco8692]

Excellent step by step demonstration. I started casting 49 years ago at 14 years old. I acquired an Emesco Centrifugal Casting Machine shortly after. I too used family gold for sentimental reasons. 18K wire rim glasses, Great uncle Joey's teeth, other family jewelry. Thanks for the great video.

[@someinteresting]

This channel is like Baumgartner for goldsmithing.

[@w15h0na5tar]

I was thinking the same thing!!

[@lissamak2405]

Ah my fellow Baumgartner friends!

[@louh7816]

Just wanted to post that... Now I am a little bit dissapointed, but also happy

[@Jj85741]

Yesss!

[@carolyngriffith9793]

Finishing the rough casting is always the best part. I remember learning how to finish a rough casting on my first day(s) of jewelry training. It was the most satisfying thing!

[@dinalou8827]

I was told that gold from a bracelet I had for my 21st birthday couldn’t be reused to redesign my engagement ring. Having since found this to not actually be the case, and also being charged for new gold with only a fraction of the cost being covered by the scrap value of my bracelet (it was very worn but there was still a significant amount of metal) I feel very upset and frustrated by this. I’m still not satisfied with my ring redesign but at least I know now that the materials from which is made can be reused again. I just need to research more thoroughly who I go to to get the work done. Thank you for your informative and interesting content, I’m now a subscriber.

[@krrimy]

If it is gold plated, then its a different story. It will require more work. But if the bracelet is 14k,18k, 21,22 etc gold, shouldn't be that big of a deal. You can definitely repurpose them

[@chadatchison145]

Your bracelet might have a lot of solder in it, if it does then it would have to be refined and that's can be a somewhat complicated process, if it's one piece without solder then there shouldn't be an issue.

[@johannnespaul4300]

i wonder what he did with the chunk of gold that was left... there was the emotional gold in it too

[@cindyd2236]

@@johannnespaul4300 i thought he said that was being rolled out to make a wedding band (maybe for the partner?)...

[@tealover22]

Not every jeweller operates like he does. One of the jewellers I was talking to says he takes the old gold and uses the value of the gold towards the new piece, but because his shop is so small he doesn’t have the tech to do it.

[@celestiamelodies]

These are the simplest yet the most beautiful rings I’ve ever seen.

[@vickyburton2434]

As a dental technician, I use the same method to cast full cast gold crowns. I use an induction machine to cast non precious alloys. I think it is a dying art. I was able to cast my own wedding bands. I love your work!💗

[@Shrek_Has_Covid19]

what if u forget and accidentally put a wedding band as someones tooth🤨

[@vickyburton2434]

@@Shrek_Has_Covid19 procedure is the same. The gold casting is the same.

[@katygidney734]

He’s really starting to rack up the food he owes me

[@DMA1392]

😂😂😂😂

[@AudriannaB-World-Peace]

That was amazing to watch how that is all done! He is a true craftsman! The rings were gorgeous! 💍

[@AmaMcKinley]

Well done video! I’ve done so much of this work, and you really honored the craft with this video

[@astro9089]

tell me why I held my breath also when you dumped the powder into the bowl

[@aiyasayatovic3988]

Lol so did I

[@मित्रों-ल1ङ]

@@aiyasayatovic3988 can we be friends

[@jaredfullmer7043]

The whole process is very interesting, especially the fact that the jeweler’s able to prevent any voids in the casting with the centrifuge.

[@jewelator]

Respect for leaving a comment to the author. I would be grateful if you look at my content and rate it. In one of the videos, I made a gold case for a Zippo 3D printer lighter.

[@buggsy5]

The centrifuge is not what prevents bubble voids, that is the purpose of the vacuum chamber. The centrifuge helps ensure that the casting is complete without lack of fill in some areas.

[@kei6400]

i could listen to you narrate for hours and hours

[@georgelosee6511]

I would like my pancake’s

[@moderngoldsmith]

I'm currently giving out IOU's

[@theycallmerex3611]

*flapjacks

[@theycallmerex3611]

Nope, pancakes... The actual end...

[@barbedwire_lace2160]

@@moderngoldsmith 😁😂

[@jjutbalajj8972]

One of my biggest interests with metallurgy is casting. I've had a ton of time filing small metal pieces but never have I poured. Great video, very energizing and helpful.

[@kasiethompson2712]

I’m so excited about finding your channel!! I got to take metals classes in college so I love that I actually know what you’re doing! I also love your channel because I’m hopefully getting engaged soon so I love learning about all of the metals and stones from someone who understands modern styles!

[@TerminusVox]

I hadn't mentally put together the centrifuge casting with this task. I've seen it (in video) somewhere before but it makes a lot of sense for this job!

[@brookem1928]

Ended up here from your Ariana Grande video. This is not my normal go-to content because I know next to nothing about making jewelry, but this video was informative and relaxing to watch. 😌 You just got a new subscriber, keep up the good work. 👍🏻

[@ChubbiBun]

What a relaxing way to learn. Your voice is so soothing, good sir 🤵🏻

[@ashleyromero8941]

So happy that your channel is growing! Your work is amazing, as a jeweler, editor and narrator! Best of luck, Cheers! 🎉

[@PtitPoup]

My 3 favorite things: 1. Gold 2. Jewelry 3. Calming voice I'm in heaven😌♥️

[@misslurmath]

Beautiful. I have my late grandma's ring, but cannot bear to melt it.

[@dark-starchemistryfabricat2405]

You might feel amazing once you do it. Maybe, Use it to make a new ring for you or a family member. Its easy to get sentimental but just remember its just material possessions… sometimes things have to find a new purpose or be cut from your life if it doesn’t serve you. I melted down my Grandfathers wedding ring he left me…it was all brass and had a small diamond… I melted it down and formed it into a small kidney charm necklace for my Sister and then I set the stone into the center of the Kidney (get it? Kidney stone? ha ha)…. We dont openly talk about it much, but I gave my sister one of my actual Kidneys about 3 years ago and this necklace was a reminder piece to help her remember that I sacrificed my kidney for her to live and I really want her take care of my Kidney, and take care of herself obviously lol. I wanted my Grandpas Good Energy intertwined with this kidney charm necklace so it was a “re-purposing” of something to fit a more important role….

[@RobertHartleyGM]

I love seeing someone take such palpable pride in their work. Both the jewellery and the video. Fantastic job. No idea why KZbin randomly recommended your video but I was instantly hooked and, coz of the algorithm, will mow likely see many more!

[@francheskacymone8771]

I love this ring, it is so full of good intentions. I love that it is made from old gold and that moissanite (which I assume is lab grown) was used as the center stone. I would love a piece like this someday!

[@vickieleahy3607]

Extremely informative video. I have casted silver but never gold. You have answered all my questions about casting gold. Great video. Thank you!

[@dixiechic60]

Gorgeous work. I’m so glad I ran across your channel.

[@asllibrarian1]

Really enjoyed this video. I have certainly gained a new informed respect for jewelers who cast metals. Did not know it was so much work. I was thinking I coyld do this but I'm low viaion. I definitely can't now. So, you guys are great!

[@mescalito2]

moissanite, what a nice surprise!

[@usdesigns]

I must admit I have watched 3 or 4 of your videos so far. I have to get to bed but I will tell my little sister about you. She is a stone buyer with hopes of having them put into settings. You would be perfect. And what a soothing voice you have. :)

[@anikasharma9289]

I am a dentist and we have the same procedure and armamentarium as do you have but the difference is we make crowns.

[@bhgtree]

A joy to watch such a skilled jeweler at work, thanks.

[@mtnriffraff68]

Wow! Nice work, a beautiful craft indeed.

[@vitornogueira05]

What a nice feeling that I get from watching your videos Jordan, thank you so much!

[@moderngoldsmith]

Thanks for watching and the kind words!

[@MikeyYuen]

Love this, really nice to see how these are made.

[@KristenMPath]

I like your longer videos. I find them fun and interesting. I would totally sit through a 30 minute video if you post them.

[@themaaddmonkey]

The whole 'adding powder to water' that you do when investing goes against everything I've ever learned about cooking! But for some reason, it just works #mindblown

[@moderngoldsmith]

haha! That's great. Yea I thought it was strange too at first but it's just better!

[@sigmasquadleader]

It's because the particles are saturated/have a high surface area immediately upon contact with water. It's also why you DO NOT add acids directly to water, as the acid has an immediate availability of water to react with. In baking, which is very much like chemistry but with a different goal, you don't want to add too much water, so it makes sense to always add incrementally.

[@Jeremy_the_unfallible_n-a]

its because the dry powder doesnt stick to the bowl if waters lining the bowl

[@beautifully_wonderfullymade]

When I bake Sourdough bread I always add flour to my water. Firstly you can remove flour that hasn't been touched by the water (if you have added to much). Secondly it mixes so much better. Well for me it does.

[@buggsy5]

@@beautifully_wonderfullymade Yep. With my bread making machine, the directions specifically state to add the wet ingredients first. The one instance where I can think of where it is essential to add water to the powder is when mixing up starch to make a gravy. That is because starch does not mix with water easily and is not a problem with investment.

[@corkkyle]

The care you put into every single step was wonderful to see. Well done.

[@kropka8259]

Sir, I am sorry but when I can collect the flapjack and fries from the previous vid?

[@67mlb67]

Jewelers and watchmakers amaze me! Those were beautiful!

[@RoyalBlue4486]

Him: (while filing) you’ll want to make sure you don’t flatten the band. Me: But...But what if I do?! How do I fix it?? Also me: wait, I’m not going to be making a ring, so it’s ok 🤪

[@kellybrackin8379]

This editing is immaculate

[@mercygirl317]

you seem to make it look easier than it is. the beauty of editing lol youre definitely very skilled. hope you and your family are staying safe 😎👍

[@paineite]

That's because he actually does it easier than it actually is.

[@sibongilekubheka6101]

This is truly a labour of love It's beautiful

[@DannyoXXIII]

Oh man! I need something custom done! The jewelry stores aren’t custom enough.

[@ElierOlivos]

Me encantó, excelente voz, gracias por compartir con la comunidad.

[@cherylchristian5673]

Beautiful ring. My art teacher in high school was a jeweler and we got to do lost wax casting in silver. Do you put a 14k mark in the rings? And I’m waiting for my pancakes!

[@buggsy5]

I believe that, in most countries, their laws require both the maker's mark plus the purity content to be stamped into the item.

[@tiffanycole8058]

You're manner of talking is so soothing I feel like I should be watching baking. I love it ❤️ I'd love to do what you do or at least experience doing it.

[@MrDutchman100]

I just started making jewelry at 60 years old, I feel 21 again. Great job

[@starlet5350]

Congratulations

[@Jojoexplora]

Your voice is so soothing

[@Myhrmanz]

Damn that was relaxing to watch.. keep it up!

[@i8764theKevassitant]

Casting them together seems extra special

[@veramartinez9664]

I absolutely love this set

[@veramartinez9664]

Would you make me a 💍. I want a 10k white gold 1.50 mossinite ring and how much would it cost.

[@bethiebooya]

Go to his website, moderngoldsmith.com and inquire for a quote.

[@craftsncreations287]

Listening to Your voice is more satisfying than listening to that ASMR❤

[@atlys258]

Wow, this was an absolute pleasure to watch! And the rings turned out beautiful. I hadn't heard of Moissanite before this, gives me hope that even though I don't have much, when the time comes I should be able to give my better half a beautiful engagement ring. 😊

[@kristalcallator2806]

You most definitely can.

[@tonyn.8911]

In my 10+ year of being a jeweler and learning under a 3rd generation jeweler. I never weighed out investment but I did use an empty flask to estimate the water, lol. Yes, the feeling of looking in the flask after casting and not seeing a button at the end of a 18 hr day during Christmas is soul crushing.

[@Godsheart26]

This is just beautiful! 😍 Can’t wait to be able to work with you in the future🙏🏽

[@jjutbalajj8972]

The cup bur is such a cool tool. I feel like I don't see it often if at all in other videos. Great choice and good addition to the video.

[@markgoostree6334]

I worked 47 years as a dental technician. I made a little jewelry .... but I cast thousands of teeth with this same method. It was funny for me to see this video... many of the same steps used to make teeth or rings.

[@alexcholagh8330]

For the teeth yes there still making them like this but for jewelry not so much because for jewelry they now use machines and cubic zirconium sadly

[@brynbirchler183]

These videos are so relaxing and interesting to see how things are made

[@lozzabean2357]

I would love to do this with my nanas rings that got passed down to me as there is two both gold one has two diamonds on each side and did have a sapphire in the middle but it became loose and was lost 😞 the other is a bad with diamonds in crusted in a strip in the middle I would love to get them made to my size and made into one ring there is a total of 14 little diamonds I would love to maybe get them made into some sort of criss cross ring! Keep up the good work loving the vids!

[@gizlanabbas7115]

You have so much patience which I wish I had. God bless you

[@sunflowers_n_coffee]

His voice is soothing lol

[@pepercat17]

Love the smooth voice, the calming music, and the beautifully done craft. I’ll come back to watch more of your videos.

[@anthonyhumbert8787]

10:09 I saw that ring go flying. Your edit was about half second too late.

[@itsruby..]

Lol

[@lyly-ky4re]

Lmao

[@TeamJesus515]

With size in mind I bet the ladies are happy. Great job

[@FamilyBikesRepeat]

I just hold my breath, ha!

[@lauras.9471]

You're voice is so relaxing and the video is so mesmerizing. Love it.

[@oshiontaupange862]

This video is kinda soothing lol

[@MultiKhalled]

The way u talk, it’s just unbelievable ✨👌🏻

[@madamemoonscosplay]

Oh.... no pancakes? The rings were absolutely gorgeous. I nearly fell asleep though because his voice was so calming.

[@GavinKrone-uq6nr]

I am a caster for a jewelry store named Genovese jewelers in my home town. It’s very cool to see this video. I use a more modern casting machine to heat up the gold and pour it, but I always thought that the centrifugal force method was cooler, even though it was a bit more dangerous.

[@courtnrylee03]

You had me at “quench it in water” and then the actual sound of it quenching.

[@atzonaftaniel4798]

very nice! I think it is great you applied moissanite since it is not that well known to the greater public

[@irishcountrygirl78]

This is fascinating!!! I'd love to find someone to melt down my old gold to make rings.

[@abrahampetrow6750]

Nice pace and a nice video. You can control the overflow of the investment in the flask by putting 2" masking tape around the top of the flask before vacuuming it.

[@TechnicalsMatt]

Great production quality. See you at 100k subs soon

[@moderngoldsmith]

HAHA, OK if you insist.

[@roniquericketts3686]

I could watch these all day.

[@RobertHeadley]

This is legit the same Vacuum table that Peter Brown just talked about breaking. He just has the metal table and the dome now.

[@moderngoldsmith]

Didn't know the reference. Very cool!

[@RobertHeadley]

@@moderngoldsmith kzbin.info/door/3CrzXzBFVqEopj5T1jiRtA

[@yourlilemogirl]

I was thinking the same thing! I recognized that dome!

[@StephiBauduhin]

Wow so impressive, there are so many steps and so much precision. Beautiful work!!!

[@mellovely_kai9194]

How do you not have more subs ! Love the vids

[@nephilimborn]

What a relaxing video nicely done

[@malibuluv209]

Beautiful rings!! Every jeweler we have had consultations with refuse to allow us to bring a moissanite and add to a ring setting we purchase from them if they were to agree to place the moissanite on for us. They sort of roll their eyes or pretend that it's cheap and how dare we ask them to place that sort of a stone in a quality store... Its truly ridiculous. I'm glad you are.open to it. I told my soon to be fiance I REALLY want a moissanite I do not care for diamonds or their "commercial made value" we are headed in the direction of brilliant earth because they offer "premium gem quality colorless moissanite" for almost 2 grand for a 2ct they better be the highest quality.

[@HosCreates]

Alot of jewelers are pretentious snobs. I don't go to them on principle. I like going to independent jewelers and get custom.

[@cvpdesigns7825]

Great video!! I’ve been working with silver for 20 + years and now I want to work with gold 😊

[@naturallydea7916]

They came out great, I love the details! Can’t wait until my pancakes load🤪

[@divyaranjith119]

Surely you are doing an incredibly great job...respect your crafft and brilliance of articulation...keep going and thanks!

[@tammyw11]

My FIL took a class to make my husband and my wedding bands. He used broken necklaces, bracelets and earrings passed down from my in-laws families for generations. Neither turned out “perfect” but I wouldn’t have it any other way. By far my most irreplaceable and prized possession!

[@alexbennett6023]

You are the Bob Ross of goldsmiths. Subscribed.

[@gabbiehepworthh]

could you do an at home cleaning routine for moissanite wedding rings and bands (with prong set stones on both)? love your vids, earned my pancakes!

[@kymberliethefreespiritedone]

Such a beautiful set. Love the story and the process!!