Last Updated on 6th January 2024
Over a quarter of Brits have old or broken jewellery simply sitting in drawers gathering dust with no intention of ever wearing it again. What a waste of an old treasure! Here are 5 things you could do with yours instead.
One man’s trash is another man’s treasure. That’s the saying, isn’t it? And when it comes to old or broken jewellery, particularly that made of precious metals like gold and silver, it has never been truer.
Some recent statistics from Cash 4 Gold Now highlighted a whole world of wasted treasures
in the UK. The company asked 2,000 people in the UK what they do with their broken or unwanted jewellery. A quarter (26%) said they just leave it in a drawer to gather dust basically. A further 18% said they throw it away.
What a waste! So here are 5 tips for things you can do instead with broken or unwanted jewellery.
Make a Charm Bracelet from Several Pieces
A snapped chain may still have a pretty pendant. And an old bracelet that you just don’t like anymore can enjoy a new lease of life by taking pendants and pieces from older or broken bits of jewellery and turning them into your very own unique charm bracelet.
Create Keyrings
Salvaging the bits broken pieces of jewellery that are still good can leave you with lots of small (pretty) items. These can easily be turned into keyrings and other small trinket style items.
And with Christmas around the corner, upcycling broken bits of jewellery into one of a kind keyrings could be a sustainable, thoughtful handmade gift for friends and family. Get rummaging through that jewellery box!
Get them Repaired
If a crafty upcycling project isn’t your bag, then maybe trying to breathe life back into the pieces as they are is a solid option for you. If a piece of jewellery breaking is the reason you’re not wearing if anymore, then consider getting it repaired.
It may cost less than you think. Pop into a jeweller with the broken pieces and get a quote or check out repair shops online. Lots exist now where you simply post the pieces off and they send them back all repaired and as good as new!
Give Them Away
Just because you don’t fancy an upcycling project doesn’t mean nobody else will. What a shame for something someone else may still absolutely love to sit in a dark cupboard somewhere forever more.
There are freebies style groups on social media and you can even just ask around your friends (perhaps the art-and-craft-gifted ones) to see if anyone can give a home to your unloved jewellery items.
Sell Them!
Ebay and Vinted are decent places for selling lower cost or costume jewellery items. But if you’ve got old jewellery made of precious metals like gold, you might practically have cash sitting around your jewellery box or in your cupboards and drawers.
Whether a piece of jewellery is broken or not, if it’s made of a saleable metal, you can sell it. Lots of specialist companies, including the likes of Cash 4 Gold Now, will buy gold from you. So you could sell it, cash in and buy yourself something new after all!
Don’t Let it Sit There Doing Nothing
Ultimately, just don’t let it sit there gathering dust. Whether you want to get creative, give it away or cash it in, all of the those options are more useful than simply leaving your jewellery in a cupboard or even sending it to landfill!
