Jewelry Restyle, Restoration, and Redesign Near Chicago

Custom Redesign Projects

Orange and Yellow Sapphire Cameo Earrings

Christopher Duquet is one of the few fine jewelers that can restore an aged, 100-year-old piece entirely in-house. While many studios send antique and heirloom jewelry out for restoration, we are equipped to handle the delicate metalwork, worn prong settings, and antique finishes that century-old pieces demand.

We look forward to the most unusual and challenging design projects that we encounter, having been commissioned to make all kinds of interesting things that you might not expect, from special event fine jewelry to sculptural objects of all kinds

Our Process for Jewelry Restyling and Restoration

Reviewing Together

We assess your piece’s metals, gemstones, and structural condition, gaining an understanding of your vision for its next chapter.

Sketching a Restyle

Our designers sketch multiple redesign or restoration concepts, incorporating CAD renderings when helpful so you can visualize the result before any work begins.

Restoring In-House

All restoration and redesign work happens in our own studio; pieces are never sent out. Our goldsmiths work with your original materials wherever possible.

Polishing Final Touches

Every completed piece is inspected by our gemologists and goldsmiths together before being presented to you, polished and ready to wear

Inquire About a Special Project

A Team of Goldsmiths and Gemologists

We have been creating fine jewelry for decades in a studio known for the highest standards of craftsmanship and customer experience. Our expert team of Graduate Gemologists, goldsmiths, and designers bring over 30 years of experience to each piece. We love to collaborate with our customers and guide them through every step of the jewelry-making process.

Meet Our Team

Our Lookbook of Recent Creations

Our Lookbook is a virtual tour through some of our most recent designs. Many of these pieces were custom-made for our customers.

Browse Our Portfolio

Our family inherited an old engagement ring and necklace. Christopher helped us design a new ring set. He sent us some CAD representations of the pieces. We went in for a fitting. The rings were ready! He took the time to answer all our questions and to educate us. We returned to have him make a pair of earrings for my daughter. We returned again to have him appraise my mother’s jewelry. We will be back again to redesign sentimental pieces into something that better suits our style in the future. For now, we are incandescently happy with the work.

— I.S.

When I was young, I received two rings, one from each set of grandparents. As I got older, the rings no longer fit. When I was in high school, I had a jeweler merge the stones into one ring, and it was a disaster. So the ring sat in my jewelry box for 30 years. Recently, I started looking for a jeweler to reset the stones. I was impressed with the work and reviews from Christopher Duquet so I scheduled an appointment. I worked with Villi and she is amazing! The purple and blue stones are semi-precious and very fragile, but Villi understood the sentimental meaning of the stones and was more than up to the challenge of creating a cherished heirloom. She explained why my original idea would not work well, and sat with me sketching different ideas until we came up with the final design. She was very transparent on the pricing and on the risks related to working with semi-precious stones. The final ring (pictured) is more than I could have hoped for. I love it and every time I look down at it I am reminded of a memory of one of my four grandparents. It’s a gift to wear and I will forever recommend Christopher Duquet. You cannot go wrong working with them!

— J.G.

Christopher Duquet Fine Jewelry has performed three services for me, all to perfection. They repaired my pave wedding band, which I had cut in half in order to get it off my finger! The result was flawless. The decorative cut on the inside was repaired beautifully. They removed a gorgeous diamond from my late beloved mother-in-law’s ring and elegantly re-designed it to look timeless. (And match my pave wedding band!) They repaired a favorite amber ring whose metal had become bent with wear and tear over time. Perfection. I will continue to trust them with my most cherished possessions. They listen, give honest advice, and design elegant pieces.

— J.W.

Frequently Asked Questions

Definitely, fine jewelry and gold have been recycled for generations. We have been restyling customers’ jewelry for many years and are experts in evaluating and guiding them through the process. From hand-engraving pieces to recycling gold and stones, we’re happy to help you reclaim the value and beauty of your heirlooms in need.

Restyling your old jewelry can cost significantly less than buying new. By reusing the precious metals and gemstones already in your piece, you reclaim their inherent value rather than starting from scratch. The cost of a restyle depends on several factors: the complexity of the new design, the condition and weight of the metal being repurposed, whether any additional stones or materials are needed, and the amount of labor involved in the fabrication. A simple reset of a stone into a new setting will be priced very differently from a full redesign that involves melting down metal and building an entirely new piece. Either way, we’re happy to guide you through the process.

In many cases, yes, and it’s worth exploring before you assume your old jewelry has little value. The tradability of a piece depends on several factors, including the quality and weight of its precious metals, the size and grade of its gemstones, and the overall condition of the piece. Gold, platinum, and diamonds in particular tend to hold meaningful value. Rather than guessing at what your jewelry might be worth, schedule a professional evaluation with our team.

Please be advised that we do not do repairs or appraisals on jewelry we did not make.