New Life + Recycled Collection
One of our favorite ways to exercise our craft here at Alx&Co. is by creating works of art for clients using heirloom gold or gemstones because the service encourages the practice of sustainable craft. Creating wearable works of art using recycled heirloom gold is sustainable craft for a number of reasons. It’s important to understand that while recycled gold sources are objectively better than newly mined gold sources, industrial refining of recycled gold will employ the use of toxic acids and result in carbon output - and not all refiners practice conscious processing practices. As part of our own commitment to sustainability, we use a local SCS Certified refiner that employs a Zero Discharge wastewater treatment process in its facility and uses a method of gold refining that reduces acid use by 85%, among adhering other carbon-conscious protocols in its facility. There is huge ecological difference between a US-based, EPA-compliant, SCS-certified refiner and other refiners that are not held to these standards. This is key to remember when browsing jewelry online that states it comes from 100% recycled gold, but still uses mass-production techniques at eye-wateringly low prices. These things just don’t add up from a sustainability perspective.
(For what it’s worth, our cast pieces are produced by a Chicago-based company that is a member of the Responsible Jewelry Council and which uses 100% recycled gold from RCJ-certified refiners for its materials.)
In the end, though, it’s just pretty cool to know that the gold you have in your piece is exactly the same gold your grandmother wore on her finger for 50 years. This is where the alure of handmade craft comes into the picture. I challenge you to look around yourself right now and try to identify five things that have been crafted by a human being from start to finish. I would bet that most Americans would struggle to identify even one item, especially if you exclude craft projects from your kids. There is a granularity to hand-crafted goods that is increasingly rare and special in today’s mass-produced economy. To commission and own something that has been meticulously labored over by another human acknowledges the connection this craft has to centuries of men and women who utilized nearly identical techniques in their own fabrications as we do today, and for our most sentimental objects, that human connection is only fitting.
Finally, when you commission a hand-made work of art you know you are going to have a one-of-a-kind masterpiece, even with the most simplistic designs. Your piece will carry its own narrative history, it will display small unique variations inherent in crafted design, and the meaning you ascribe to it will be completely your own.
Not everything can be created using recycled gold, though, and we have a post already detailing the types of custom styles (and why) that are a good option for utilizing your heirloom gold. Additionally, we have been creating items for our showroom that show pretty ways to use your own gold, and we’re pleased to release new styles that are available now for purchase or design inspiration:
Hand crafted earring ideas…
Designed and crafted right here at Alx&Co., these pretty hoops are finished with a soft, satiny finish, these pretty hoops will be a daily wear staple for years to come.
14k Yellow Gold and set with recycled natural round and trillion cut diamonds.
The Grassetto Diamond Huggies are part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Pendant and cluster necklace ideas…
Handmade in our Old Town workshop out of 100% recycled 14k yellow gold, our Forget Me Not Earrings are available in two sizes. They layer beautifully with other earrings, or wear them solo for a more subtle look. We love this design for its sweet, thoughtful detailing that can only be found in handmade works of art.
14k yellow gold.
The Forget Me Not Earrings are part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
A moderately abstract take on classic flower earrings, our Petals Studs feature a fanned out design for a more interesting look. These fresh-picked petal studs would be a thoughtful gift for your pickiest loved one.
Handcrafted in our Old Town, Alexandria workshop out of 100% recycled yellow gold.
The Petals Studs are part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Hand Crafted in our studio out of recycled 18k yellow gold and recycled 1.54ctw natural diamonds, the Spumante Necklace is a beautiful and unique piece spread across the collar for a look that layers just as beautiful as it stands on it’s own.
18k yellow gold, set with recycled 1.54ctw natural diamonds
The Spumante Necklace is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Hand crafted in our studio out of recycled 18k yellow gold and, if selected, recycled natural diamonds, the Barre Necklace is a simple, everyday option that layers beautifully. The necklace measures 18” and the chain length can be adjusted to your preference. Solid gold bar.
The Barre is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Plus a pretty solitaire ring option…
This handmade inverted diamond ring is perfect for the client who is looking for a novel take on a classic solitaire ring. Handmade by our talented goldsmith Tim, this ring carries a rustic yet polished aesthetic. Set with an inverted .50ct recycled old mine cut diamond in a textured bezel, the ring is more subtly luminescent than your typical face-up design. We love the slight edge it brings to the picture, resulting in a wholly unique ring that is both comfortable and durable for daily wear.
Set with a .50ct mine cut diamond, HI-SI1 grade.
This diamond is not certified and is graded by our studio as a HI-SI1 natural diamond. The diamond has been tested.
This ring can be resized on a complementary basis after purchase.
This ring will not allow a wedding band to sit completely flush against it, but can be customized to do so.
The Sara is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Handcrafted in 100% recycled 18k yellow gold and set with a recycled .54ct pear cut natural diamond, the New Angles Necklace is a little different from your typical solitaire necklace. Playing up the slight asymmetrical lay in the horizontally-set pear cut diamond, the necklace is intended to invite a more modern aesthetic to a classic construction. Set in a clean half-bezel setting, this necklace is perfect for the minimalist in your life who likes things just a little different from the everyday.
18k yellow gold, set with .54ct recycled pear cut natural diamond.
The New Angles Necklace is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Set with a beautiful soft white akoya pearl and recycled natural diamonds, this unique pendant floats freely to create a playful piece that also feels endlessly elegant. We handcrafted this design out of 100% recycled 18k yellow gold and platinum, creating an open-concept design that showcases the pearl in a beautifully unique way. Paired with an 18k yellow gold faceted cable chain.
The Full Circle Pearl Pendant is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
Our classic diamond slider, featuring a bezel-set design. A daily-wear piece that feels perfectly elevated. The chain measures 18” and can be shortened to your preference.
Set with a recycled .37ct G SI2 natural diamond in 14k yellow gold.
The Classic Diamond Slider Necklace is part of our Alx&Co. House Collection and can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
A simple disk pendant set with a scattering of lab created diamonds, this pretty piece evokes the beauty of a snow flurry on a crisp winter’s day. Crafted in our workshop out of 100% recycled 14k yellow gold, The Snow Flurries Token is the perfect size to wear in a layered look, or opt for a more minimalist look on its own.
14k yellow gold, set with lab created diamonds
This piece can be customized to your preference by booking a design consultation.
All of these styles are crafted by hand in our workshop, and of course you aren’t limited by these styles for your own piece - we are happy to talk through other design ideas! For example, our handmade bangles are a great daily-wear investment piece that can be customized to your pick of width, finish, and detailing. The styles shown here are all custom commissions from clients, and we can execute other variations to your own preferences.
If you have enough gold and gemstones to use in the design, then we only charge for the labor involved in crafting the piece. The design process is a little different for these pieces as well because we don’t do renderings of the piece before we craft it. If you’re comfortable with a process where you trust the craft and creation, then this is a great way to achieve new utility from your heirloom pieces. Reach out to schedule a design consultation and see what we can create for you!
