Custom Jewelry, Reconstruction & 
Recycling Magic at CMD

Everything You Need to Know Before We Begin

As a small business owner, when I hear similar requests over and over again, I listen. I’m an observant designer, and I do my best to notice when there is a need or desire for something new.

Over the years, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been asked to repurpose precious family diamonds, redesign old wedding jewelry, or transform an heirloom into something with a distinctly CMD aesthetic. There is a real desire to take beautiful materials that already carry history and turn them into jewelry that feels relevant, wearable and personal again.

That’s how CMD Reconstruction has grown into such an important part of my work. These projects are deeply personal, creatively challenging and incredibly meaningful. When the materials, story and design all come together, it really does feel like magic.

They also require a larger investment of time, materials and craftsmanship, which is why we created this guide. My hope is that it answers most of your questions upfront, helps you understand what we can and cannot do, and gives you a clear sense of whether a CMD Reconstruction project might be the right fit for you.

If you’re still unsure after reading, you can always book a complimentary 15-minute consultation with me before committing to a full project.

What We Specialize In

At CMD, this work generally falls into two overlapping categories:

1. Jewelry Recycling for CMD Credit: precious metals are sent to our refining vendor and their value is applied as credit toward new materials or CMD jewelry.
2. Custom Reconstruction Projects: we design something new for you, often incorporating diamonds or heirloom stones removed from your original jewelry.

These can absolutely happen together. In many Reconstruction projects, we carefully remove usable stones, recycle the original precious metal for credit, and then create the new piece using fresh metal and the stones you chose to carry forward.

Most full custom and Reconstruction projects fall somewhere in the $2,500 to $15,000+ range. The final investment depends heavily on the design, amount and type of precious metal, stones, number and width of bands, and complexity of the project. Larger stacks and diamond-heavy designs can fall outside that range.

• Diamond or gemstone size and quantity
• Number of stones being set
• Width and weight of the ring or rings
• Number of bands in a stack
• Metal choice
• Complexity of the design

If you’re envisioning a substantial gold ring or stack with diamonds, we primarily work in solid gold with your choice of yellow, white or rose gold. 14k and 18k gold remain our most common choices, and 10k solid gold may also be available for select projects when you’d like a more approachable solid-gold option.

While we’re unable to set precious stones directly into sterling silver for most Reconstruction designs because it is much softer than gold, sterling silver can sometimes be incorporated elsewhere in a finished mixed-metal set. If you love the cooler appearance of sterling silver or platinum but want the durability of gold around an heirloom stone, 14k white gold is often a beautiful option.

Jewelry Recycling for Credit

If you have precious but unused jewelry sitting in a drawer, let’s talk. Depending on the material, we may be able to recycle the metal through our refining vendor and apply its value as credit toward your new project or other CMD jewelry.

One important distinction: your original gold is not melted down at CMD and turned directly into your new ring. Your metal is sent to our refining vendor, where we receive material credit. That value is then applied toward the fresh precious metal used to create your new piece. Your stones, however, may be removed and reused directly when they are structurally suitable.

If you want a deeper look at exactly what happens after your metal leaves our studio, read What Actually Happens to Your Recycled Gold?

How It Works

• You bring or safely ship your jewelry to us.
• Our team inspects the pieces and identifies what may be recyclable or reusable.
• Stones are carefully removed when applicable.
• The precious metal is sent to our refining and raw materials vendor.
• Our vendor processes the material and determines its value.
• That amount is issued to you as CMD credit and can be applied toward your project or another eligible CMD purchase.
  
  

The recycling portion of the process generally takes approximately 7–21 business days, depending on our refining vendor and the materials involved.

Please note:

• The new project is made from fresh precious metal purchased through our vendor, not from the exact gold you handed us.
• Diamonds and other heirloom stones may be reused when they are structurally sound and appropriate for the new design.
• Any stone removal carries some risk. Even with tremendous care, older or previously damaged stones can crack or break during removal or resetting, so we require a waiver before beginning this work.
• We’ll provide an estimated recycling value and ask for your permission before your metal is sent to the refiner. Once it has been sent for recycling, the original jewelry cannot be returned.
• There is a labor fee for deconstructing jewelry and carefully removing stones. The fee varies depending on the complexity and amount of bench time required.

What Can Be Recycled?

We currently accept eligible 14k–24k solid gold, platinum and palladium through our recycling program. We do not currently recycle sterling silver for credit.

Hallmarks and stamps can help us identify what you have, but final recyclability and value are determined through the refining process. If you aren’t sure what your jewelry is made of, bring it anyway. Part of our job is helping you understand what you have and what may be worth carrying forward.

Important Notes About Stones

We are frequently able to reuse:

• Natural diamonds
• Lab-grown diamonds
• Many heirloom gemstones on a case-by-case basis
• Additional lab-grown diamonds can also be sourced when your design needs stones that complement the originals

Not every gemstone is a good candidate for removal and resetting. Age, existing damage, inclusions, previous repairs, stone type, shape and setting can all affect what is safely possible. We’ll evaluate what you have before making promises about how a stone can be incorporated.

The Timeline

Reconstruction is not an overnight process, and that is intentional. The recycling and inspection portion alone generally takes approximately 7–21 business days. From there, we move into design development, sizing, sourcing, fabrication, stone setting and finishing.

Most complete Reconstruction projects take approximately 5–12 weeks, depending on the complexity of the design, whether recycling is involved, material availability and the number of custom projects already in our studio queue. Every piece is made by hand in our Upstate New York production studio, and we won’t sacrifice craftsmanship simply to rush a project out the door.

If you need something completed for a wedding, birthday, anniversary or another meaningful date, please tell us as early as possible. We’ll always be transparent about what is realistically achievable.

An Accurate Ring Size Is Crucial

For Custom Projects and Special Occasion pieces, confirming your exact ring size is a required step before we move into production. For custom solid-gold rings, we’ll send you a personalized CMD Ring Sizing Kit and pause the project until we’re confident in your fit.

This matters especially because many CMD rings are not traditional circles. We work with rounded squares, rigid squares and substantial bands and stacks, all of which can fit differently depending on width and shape.

I typically assemble a sizing kit that approximates the overall width of the piece we’re designing because width significantly affects how a ring feels on your finger. Before we begin working in precious metal, we want the sizing to feel right. Your piece should feel like it was truly made for you, because it is.

If you’re ordering a made-to-order CMD ring outside of a Reconstruction project and aren’t completely confident in your size, you can also rent a Ring Sizing Kit separately.

The Investment (Let’s Be Direct)

Most CMD Custom and Reconstruction projects fall between $2,500 to $15,000+, depending on the scope of the project. I want you to walk into this process fully informed. If you’re hoping to transform several heirloom pieces into a $500 finished custom ring, we’re probably not the right fit. If you’re ready to invest in something highly personal, beautifully made and designed to live with you for years, I’d love to talk.

We most commonly work in 14k and 18k gold for this level of custom jewelry, and 10k solid gold is now available for select projects. This gives us another option for creating durable, heirloom-quality solid gold jewelry at a somewhat more approachable price point while preserving the weight, longevity and integrity that matter so much in this work.

Recycling your eligible precious metal can also help offset part of the cost. Your exact credit depends on what you have, its weight and purity, and current precious-metal values when it is processed by our refining vendor.

For a deeper breakdown of what affects the price of a Reconstruction project, read How Much Is a Reconstruction Project with CMD Going to Cost Me?

See What’s Possible

If you’d like to see real examples before beginning, I recommend starting with our Custom & Reconstruction Stories, where I’ve gathered some of my favorite client projects in one place.

You might also love:

• Memory, Metal & Meaning
  
• Giving Diamonds New Life
  
• Lee’s Custom Moonstone & Diamond Stack
  
• This Ring Holds Her Family’s Story
  
• A Piece of Ronnie, Reimagined for Robin
  

You can also see designs that often become starting points for custom work in our Special Occasion Bands and Special Occasion Stack Ring Sets.

The Designer Fee

When you’re ready to officially begin a custom Reconstruction project, we reserve dedicated design time with a $250 appointment deposit. This allows us to move beyond general questions and into the actual creative work: reviewing your materials, discussing your goals, considering proportions and possibilities, and beginning to develop your project together.

The $250 is applied toward your finished project. For example, if your finished piece totals $2,500, that deposit becomes part of the $2,500 rather than an additional charge.

If you’re interested but not quite ready to commit, there is also a complimentary 15-minute consultation. This is the best place to ask initial questions about feasibility, materials, recyclability, general budget and whether CMD feels like the right fit.

1. READY TO START YOUR PROJECT?

The dedicated Reconstruction appointment is for clients who have reviewed our work, understand the general investment and are ready to begin designing. These appointments can happen in person or virtually, and we work with clients all over the country.

2. NOT QUITE SURE YET?

Book a complimentary 15-minute consultation. Bring your questions, tell me what you have and give me the broad strokes of what you’re hoping to do. You do not need to arrive with a fully developed design idea. That part is what I’m here for.

Before We Meet

Before your dedicated appointment, I’ll ask you to share photos of the jewelry you’re considering recycling or reusing and tell me a little about what you’re hoping to create. Inspiration images are welcome, but it’s equally helpful for me to know which existing CMD pieces, shapes, proportions and combinations you’re naturally drawn to.

This gives me context before we sit down together and helps us use our design time well.

A New Era of Meaningful Design

I truly believe that metal is my medium and connection is my craft. Reconstruction has become one of the clearest expressions of that philosophy because before we talk about ring widths, stones or gold colors, I get to hear the story behind what you brought me.

We all carry objects connected to people, relationships and chapters of our lives. Having the opportunity to preserve the parts that matter and transform those materials into something you genuinely want to wear is an incredible honor.

You also don’t need to know exactly what your jewelry should become before contacting me. Some of my favorite projects have started with a bag of old jewelry and the sentence, “I have no idea what to do with this.” We figure it out together.

If you have questions and simply want to talk it through first, start with the complimentary consultation. If you already know you’re ready to dive in, reserve your Reconstruction appointment and we’ll get to work.

BOOK A COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATION

or

START YOUR RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT

Thank you for trusting me,
Colleen

© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: February 18, 2026
Updated: August 26, 2026