How to give old jewellery a new lease of life

Do you have a collection of old jewellery tucked away in your drawer, pieces you still love, but haven’t worn for a while? Instead of letting those pieces gather dust, why not give them a fresh start? With a little creativity and some TLC, you can transform old jewellery into something you love wearing again. Read on for our tips.

1. Clean and restore

Before you embark on any transformation, start by cleaning and restoring your old jewellery. Here’s how:

• Gently clean your pieces using warm, soapy water and a soft brush. Read our guides here to cleaning silver, gold and platinum.
• Untwist and unwind any knots in your jewellery from storage and repair any damage (or take to a jeweller to do this for you), to bring your jewellery back to life.

2. Redesign and repurpose

One of the most exciting ways to breathe new life into old jewellery is through redesign and repurposing:

• Work with a skilled jeweller to redesign outdated pieces into more contemporary styles.
• This can be done through a variety of ways, such as repurposing all the materials for an entirely new piece, just changing slight aspects of the design (such as changing the stones), or even combining multiple old pieces to create one, new show-stopping piece of jewellery.

3. Mix and match

Experiment with mixing and matching your old jewellery with newer pieces. Sometimes all it takes is styling your jewellery slightly differently, to help you fall back in love with it:

• Layer vintage necklaces with modern ones for a trend-driven, contemporary look.
• Combine different styles, textures, and materials to create a unique contrast.

4. Use things in new ways

You don’t have to entirely change a piece of jewellery to give it a new life:

• Turn rings into pendant necklaces by looping onto a chain around the neck
• Add charms to otherwise boring bracelets and create a unique charm bracelet

5. Share and gift

Over it entirely? Someone else might love it – consider sharing the joy of your old jewellery:

• Gift pieces to loved ones who appreciate their sentimental value.
• Donate or sell jewellery to vintage shops or via online marketplaces.
• Host a jewellery swapping party with friends to exchange pieces (and their stories).

6. Treat yourself to something new

Sometimes it’s best to have a fresh start; out with the old and in with the new. Treat yourself to something you’ll really love for many years to come.

Want more advice?

Read our handy jewellery storage and care hacks here, and read our guides to cleaning gold, silver and platinum jewellery.