How we resize a ring without losing the hallmark
Cut, add or remove gold, solder, file and polish: what happens to your ring in the two days it is with us…
New in the showcase
Fine jewellery, made at our own bench
Rings, earrings and chains made in recycled gold behind the shop counter, plus bespoke pieces, resizing and repairs by the same two goldsmiths.
Hallmarked metal
Every gold, silver and platinum piece is hallmarked before it reaches the showcase.
Recycled gold
Our gold and silver are recycled, and we can rework the gold you bring in.
Stones with papers
Diamonds over 0.3 ct come with a grading report you can read (sample).
About Finesse
A goldsmith's bench behind the shop counter
Marlow & Vane (sample) is a small shop with a workshop at the back. The pieces in the showcase are made there, and the goldsmith who made your ring is the one who resizes it ten years later.
We work in recycled gold, silver and platinum, and buy stones from cutters who tell us where they came from.
100%
Recycled gold and silver (sample)
48 h
For most ring resizing (sample)
What happens at our bench
Two goldsmiths work behind the counter, so most jobs never leave the building. Bring the piece in and we tell you what it needs and what it costs before we start.
Bespoke design
Start from a sketch, a photo or a stone you already own. You see a wax model before any gold is cast.
Ring resizing
Up or down by soldering in or taking out gold, so the pattern and any hallmark stay where they are.
Repairs
New claws, a soldered chain, a fresh clasp or a stone that has gone loose. Checked under the loupe first.
Valuations
A written valuation for insurance, with photos, weights and stone sizes, usually ready the same week.
Engraving
Names, dates and small marks cut by hand inside a band or on the face of a signet ring.
Clean and check
Ultrasonic clean, polish and a claw check while you wait. Free for anything bought here.
From a first sketch to the box
Every made-to-order piece goes through the same four steps. You see it, and can change it, at each one.
1. Talk it through
Bring ideas, photos or old gold. We sketch while you talk and agree a price range.
2. Wax and approve
We carve or print a wax model so you can hold the shape before it is cast.
3. Cast, set, finish
Cast in recycled gold, then filed, set, polished and sent for hallmarking.
4. Collect and fit
Try it on at the counter. We adjust the fit and clean it as long as you own it.
Bring us the gold you no longer wear
An odd earring, a ring that never fitted, a chain with a broken clasp. We weigh it with you, then melt and refine it into something you will wear, and you only pay for the making.
Made here
From the showcase
Four pieces from the shop this month. The card on each photo gives the metal, the stone and the price.
Wheat ring
18ct yellow gold, hand-cut basket pattern
$1,280
Twist hoops
9ct yellow gold, 22 mm
$340 the pair
Thread chain
9ct yellow gold trace chain, 45 cm
$260
Hammered pair
18ct rose and yellow gold, 3 mm
$1,650 the pair
Example prices. Every piece can be made in another metal or size; ask and we quote.
I brought in my grandmother’s rings in a paper bag. Three weeks later I had one ring made from all of them, and they showed me the wax first so I could change the shoulders.
Sample customer
Bespoke ring from family gold (sample)
Questions before you buy
Can I see a piece before I buy it?
Yes. Everything in the collections is in the shop or can be brought from the workshop for you. Ask about a piece and we keep it aside for a week.
How do I find my ring size?
Come in and we measure with a set of sizing rings, which takes two minutes. If it is a surprise, bring a ring the person already wears on that finger.
Where does your gold come from?
We use recycled gold and silver from a refiner who certifies its sources (sample), and we can melt down your own gold for a new piece.
How long does a bespoke piece take?
About four to six weeks from the first sketch, depending on the stone. Tell us the date it is needed and we plan back from it.
Can you resize a ring with stones all round?
Often not without changing it. Full eternity rings are best made to size; we look at yours and tell you honestly.
Notes from the bench
Choosing wedding bands that sit well together
Width, profile and metal: three questions to answer before you choose a pair of bands (sample).
From wax to gold: a bespoke ring in four steps
Sketch, wax, cast and finish: how a commission takes shape on our bench over about five weeks (sample).