In the Workshop: Permanent Jewellery in Plymouth
- Lee Molseed
- Sep 11
- 10 min read
Updated: Oct 19
Edition date: 18 October 2025
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✨ Workshop Spotlight: Permanent Jewellery
You may have heard about our recent competition (running until Sunday 31st August) to celebrate the arrival of our brand new jewellery welder. This clever tool now allows our goldsmiths here in Plymouth to offer permanent jewellery, one of the fastest-growing trends in fashion jewellery. So in this week's newsletter, we thought we'd share with you the answers to the questions people are asking about the trend that's taking the world by storm.
💡 What is permanent jewellery?
Permanent jewellery is a chain that is custom-fitted and welded closed, leaving no clasp. Most people choose a bracelet or anklet, but necklaces are also possible. It’s designed to be worn all the time, while you sleep, shower, work, and play.
You can select from:
Silver, gold, platinum, or gold filled
A wide range of chain styles, from delicate to chunky, and from traditional link styles to more modern and sleek designs.
Every piece is welded by our skilled goldsmiths, giving you a unique and lasting keepsake.
🎉 The perfect hen party starter
One of the most exciting ways people are enjoying permanent jewellery is by making it part of an event.
Imagine this: the bride-to-be and her closest friends book into our Plymouth workshop (or with our new equipment, we can also fit your permanent jewellery anywhere). Everyone chooses a chain, perhaps matching styles or each picking their own. One by one, our goldsmiths weld them on. By the time the group leaves, they’ve all got a sparkling new bracelet or anklet, a lasting reminder of the day.
It’s a moment that feels fun and a little different, like a modern twist on the friendship bracelet, but far more stylish. As a pre-drinks ritual for a hen party, it’s memorable, bonding, and makes every glance at the chain afterwards a reminder of the celebration.
We’ve hosted these parties before, and the buzz is incredible. It’s not just about jewellery - it’s about creating memories together.
🔑 Your questions answered
How long does permanent jewellery last? The honest answer is that it really depends — and that’s part of what makes each piece so personal.
Longevity varies based on several factors:
Care: regular cleaning and gentle handling can keep it looking its best Lifestyle: it may seem obvious, but even the job you do or the amount of exercise you have, can influence the longevity of your jewellery. This is true for traditional style chains, and also permanent jewellery. Metal choice: platinum and 9ct gold are very durable, while silver and 18ct gold are softer Chain thickness: finer chains may wear more quickly than chunkier styles, so if you want a more delicate look, it's important to choose the right link style to maximise it's strength Link design: some chain patterns are naturally more resilient than others, and we can advise you about the best choices for your needs.
A key part of the fitting process is choosing the right balance between style and durability - so you’ll always leave with something that works for you.
What are the pros and cons of permanent jewellery?
Pros: Fitting is super fast — often completed in under a minute. It will probably take your group longer to choose their style than it takes for us to fit everyone!Seamless, stylish, always there — no clasps to fiddle with, and deeply meaningful as a keepsake.Traditional chains rely on a spring-loaded clasp, which is usually the weakest part of the piece. With permanent jewellery, there’s no clasp at all — the strength is consistent along the whole chain.Permanent jewellery is one of the biggest trends in jewellery right now, buzzing across social media and increasingly popular for friendship bracelets, couples, and family keepsakes. And now you can get it right here in Plymouth!Perfect for marking milestones — birthdays, anniversaries, hen parties, or even just “because”.
Cons (and how to think about them): By design, these pieces are made to stay on. They’re not ideal for people who like to swap jewellery daily. If you need one removed (for medical treatment or scans), it’s a simple, safe snip — and you can always have it re-fitted later.Not every chain style suits every lifestyle. Very fine chains may wear more quickly if you’re active in sports or manual work. Chunkier links, gold, or platinum are more durable choices.Avoid delicate styles like Herringbone or Snake chains for everyday wear — they look beautiful but can be prone to kinking.You’ll want to think ahead for practicalities like airport security or medical scans. (Good news: security scanners don’t pick them up, and most people simply tape over their piece for scans like MRIs if required.)
Can permanent jewellery be removed?
Yes. Although it’s welded shut when fitted, permanent jewellery isn’t truly “forever.” It can be safely snipped off at home with basic cutters, but for the best result it’s worth having it removed by a jeweller, who can cut at the right point to make any future re-fit neat and simple. And for anyone with a curious toddler who likes to pull — don’t worry. A good hard tug could still break a fine chain, but that’s true of any jewellery, clasp or not. The upside is reassuring: if there were ever an emergency, it won’t trap you. Most people see it as the best of both worlds — strong enough for daily life, but not indestructible.
Does it hurt?
Not at all. The welder never touches your skin. The process is quick, simple, and completely pain-free (unless of course you consider our goldsmith's jokes to be painful).
Can you travel with it?
Yes! Delicate chains won’t trigger airport scanners. For MRIs or medical scans, we can remove the chain if required.
How much does it cost?
Prices vary with the metal and chain chosen. Gold filled is a popular affordable option, while platinum offers the ultimate in durability and luxury.
📝 Why choose West Country Goldsmiths?
Experienced jewellers based in Plymouth, trusted for our craftsmanship
Choice of silver, gold, platinum, and gold filled to suit every budget
Flexible styles: fine and delicate, bold and statement
Options for private bookings, parties, and group fittings
Local expertise: permanent jewellery done by trained goldsmiths, not just technicians
✨ Final thoughts
Permanent jewellery is more than just a trend. It’s an experience, a symbol, and a story you carry with you. Whether chosen alone, with a partner, or as part of a group celebration, it becomes a little piece of your life welded into place.
From Old Gold to New Bangles: Plymouth’s Jewellery Workshop Experience
At West Country Goldsmiths in Plymouth, we love giving jewellery a new lease of life. This week in our workshop, we transformed a pile of worn and broken pieces into a beautiful handmade gold bangle — a process that combines traditional skills with modern tools.
Whether you’re looking for a unique gift, an unforgettable experience day, or simply a way to breathe new life into your own jewellery, here’s how we do it.
Why customers bring us their old gold
There are plenty of reasons why people ask us to melt and remake their jewellery into something new:
Sentimentality: inherited or gifted jewellery that no longer suits your style can be reimagined without losing its history
Sustainability: recycling your gold reduces waste and environmental impact
Value: using your own gold means you often save on the cost of new materials
Creativity: turning a handful of small or broken items into a bold statement piece
Many of the bangles we make sell out so quickly online that they show as “out of stock.” If you’d like to commission your own, you can see an example here: Ladies Gold Bangle. Price will vary depending on your choices of thickness, finished weight, style and whether or not you supply any of the gold.
The step-by-step process
Every bangle we create is made on-site in our Plymouth workshop, by skilled goldsmiths with years of experience.
1. Preparation
We begin by carefully checking each piece. Stones are removed, and everything is tested to ensure it’s genuine gold.
2. Melting & pouring
The scrap is melted down in our furnace and poured into a bar mould, creating the starting point for your new piece.
3. Annealing, pickling and rolling
The gold bar is softened by heating (annealing), cooled, and cleaned in our pickle pot (we recently unboxed our new Durston Pickle Pot here), and finally rolled thinner. This cycle is repeated several times until the gold reaches the perfect thickness for a bangle.
4. Shaping & soldering
The strip of gold is shaped around a triblet (sizing mandrel), hammered to fit, and soldered at the join to complete the circle.
5. Finishing
We file, polish and clean the piece until it shines — ready to be worn and treasured for years to come.
Workshops: make your own bangle
One of the most exciting parts of this process is that you can experience it yourself.
We will soon offer jewellery workshops in Plymouth where you can learn how to:
Melt and prepare gold
Roll, anneal, and shape it
Size and solder your own bangle
Polish and finish it ready to wear
These sessions make brilliant experience day gifts. Imagine giving a loved one not just a piece of jewellery, but the memory of making it themselves under expert guidance.
It’s an ideal option for:
Christmas presents with a personal twist
Anniversary gifts that celebrate love and commitment
Birthdays where experiences mean more than objects
Partners who want to go the extra mile by creating something truly thoughtful
To pre-register your interest, email us at enquiry@westcountrygoldsmiths.com.
The transformation in pictures
Top left: the original broken and worn gold
Bottom left: melting and pouring into a bar
Top right: soldering the join
Bottom right: the polished finished bangle
Why choose West Country Goldsmiths?
All work is carried out on-site in Plymouth by trained goldsmiths
We regularly create bangles from old or broken jewellery, and they remain one of our most popular commissions
We offer both custom orders and workshop experiences
Our expertise and location mean you don’t need to travel far in the South West for professional, handcrafted results
Final Thoughts
Turning scrap into something stunning is at the heart of what we do. Whether you’d like to commission a bangle, recycle your gold into something new, or join a workshop to make your own, West Country Goldsmiths in Plymouth is here to help.
💌 Ready to start your journey? Get in touch at enquiry@westcountrygoldsmiths.com.
Shop ladies gold bangle
💎 Birthstone Focus: September’s Sapphire
As September approaches, we turn our attention to one of the most timeless and treasured gemstones: the sapphire. Known for its striking deep blue colour, the sapphire has been a symbol of wisdom, loyalty, and protection for centuries. We have this equisite pair of 18ct White and Yellow Gold Saphhire and Diamond pear earrings available from this weekend ready for September. And as this newletter goes out, we're adding a whole section of Sapphire products to our website for this very celebration. Check them out by clicking the link below.
🌍 A stone with global heritage
Sapphires have been mined for thousands of years in places such as Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Kashmir, and more recently Australia and Africa. Today, they are admired all over the world not only for their beauty but also for their durability — second only to diamonds on the Mohs hardness scale.
✨ Symbolism and meaning
Traditionally, sapphires are believed to bring:
Wisdom and focus (making them popular for writers, scholars, and creatives)
Loyalty and faithfulness (often chosen for engagement rings and milestone anniversaries)
Protection from harm (once thought to shield travellers and warriors)
🔹 More than just blue
While deep royal blue is the colour most associated with sapphires, they actually occur in almost every colour of the rainbow. From delicate pastel pinks to vivid yellows and even greens, the world of sapphire is more varied than many people realise. (The only shade you won’t find is red — those are classed as rubies!)
Local inspiration — blending gem and maritime heritage
Living in Plymouth, our city’s maritime roots run deep — literally and figuratively. In folklore, sailors once believed sapphires could protect them from drowning, making these gems a powerful symbol of oceanic lore and survival.
One famous local link is HMS Sapphire, a Royal Navy ship that carried the gem’s name with pride. Plymouth sailors, too, have long been known to wear sapphire rings or carry them as keepsakes — symbols of safe passage and loyalty to loved ones waiting on shore. It feels especially fitting that Plymouth, with its centuries of seafaring tradition and the departure of the Mayflower in 1620, has ties to a gemstone so deeply connected to the sea.
When you choose a sapphire here in Plymouth, you’re not just selecting a beautiful birthstone — you’re connecting with centuries of sea-faring tradition and local craftsmanship.
📌 If you’ve ever thought about commissioning a piece of jewellery with your birthstone — or perhaps surprising someone special with theirs — our goldsmiths are always happy to talk through ideas. You can email us at enquiry@westcountrygoldsmiths.com to begin the conversation.
💎 Birthstone Focus: September’s Sapphire:
📱 Social Highlights
We’ve been keeping busy on our socials. Here’s a little of what’s been happening! Click the images to go straight to the content.
🐶 Behind the scenes with Fergie
Our office dog stole the show during the unboxing of our new Lampert Welder. Turns out filming with high-tech kit is one thing… filming with a determined pup is another 🤣💛 Make your own mind up, with our bloopers reel. The only thing missing is hours of footage of Lee being told off for looking directly at the camera during filming!
🎁 Don’t forget — our giveaway is STILL OPEN until Sunday 31st August. Check our main video to spot the deliberate mistake and enter.
👉 Question: should Fergie star in the next unboxing video? (We think he’s ready for Hollywood…)
💍 Trending Love: Oval Diamond Rings
On Instagram, everyone’s talking about oval-cut diamonds. It’s the choice of Travis Kelce & Taylor Swift, and Cristiano Ronaldo & Georgina Rodriguez. Now, it is one of the most requested engagement styles in our workshop.
Why? Because oval diamonds elongate the finger, sparkle beautifully, and look timeless.
✨ Whether it’s popping the question or upgrading your ring, we can create a custom oval diamond ring to suit your style and budget.
📩 DM us or email enquiry@westcountrygoldsmiths.com to explore your options.
— West Country Goldsmiths • https://www.westcountrygoldsmiths.com
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