Our Services
At Juvelér Langaard, we combine traditional goldsmithing with personal guidance and extensive experience. We assist you with everything from maintenance and repairs to designing new jewelry, re-working heirlooms and other sentimental pieces, engraving, family crests, and signet rings. Each assignment is individually assessed, with respect for its history, materials, and craftsmanship. Together, we will find a solution that preserves both quality and personal expression.
Maintenance
Since gold and platinum are relatively soft, it is important to handle your jewelry with care. Preferably avoid activities where jewelry, especially rings and bracelets, are exposed to knocks or wear. It is best to take off your jewelry when exercising, swimming, or doing housework and gardening. Scratches and nicks in the metal can, if not too deep, be removed by us, and we can polish and buff surfaces to achieve a smooth and shiny finish. However, the wear that occurs over time is a natural part of the gold's character and history, which we call patina.
White gold jewelry is often rhodium-plated, which makes the surface shiny white. Over time, this plating wears off, especially on rings, and the jewelry must then be sanded and polished before receiving a new layer of rhodium.
Diamond jewelry should be checked regularly to ensure that the stones are securely set. It is common for prongs to need strengthening from time to time on frequently worn jewelry, especially engagement rings.
Maintenance and Repairs
Jewellery with diamonds and other gemstones should be submitted for regular inspection by a jeweller. The jeweller will check that the stones are secure and that the prongs and metal are in good condition. Pearl necklaces should preferably be restrung once a year, or more often if you wear them frequently. This ensures that the silk thread and knot between each pearl always look good and hold up well.
Jewellery wears out with use, and especially white gold jewellery may require grinding,
polishing, and rhodium plating. You are always welcome to visit our store for a complimentary cleaning and inspection of your jewellery. If repairs are needed, you will first receive a non-binding price estimate.
Design of New Jewelry
We are happy to create custom jewellery in our workshop, according to our customers' wishes. Most customers have a clear idea of what they envision, and together with our designer Melanie, they create a drawing of the piece. We then offer a no-obligation price quote, and we agree on the way forward. We also have many customers who want jewellery that we already have in the shop in a slightly different variation, for example, an engagement ring in yellow gold instead of white gold, and we are happy to help with that.
The jewellery you find in the shop is either designed and made in our workshop in Oslo, or by our carefully selected international partners. A large part of what we offer is only available in a single copy, such as the beautiful pieces in our Exclusive Collection.
Reworking and Redesign
If you have received jewelry as a gift or inherited pieces that you wish to alter or remake into something new, we are happy to assist you. There is often a great deal of sentimental value in inherited items, but in many cases, the jewelry may be thin or worn, have damaged or cracked gemstones, or be missing stones. Together, we will find the best solution, whether that involves simple alterations or completely rebuilding the piece. We usually perform this work in our own workshop, but we occasionally use our international partners when necessary.
Please note that we do not purchase gold or gemstones from private individuals. Furthermore, we do not melt down old gold ourselves, as its quality can vary. We exclusively use refined gold or platinum, which consists of old gold and production scraps converted back into pure metals. We also use finished components from certain other suppliers. Any gold you may provide for a remodeling project will be credited against the price of the new piece of jewelry.
Engraving and Family Crest
In Norway, anyone who wishes can have a family coat of arms, even if there is no family tradition for it. As long as you adhere to the principles of heraldry, you can have your own coat of arms created. A heraldist is a person with expertise in coats of arms. The use of family crests varies, from engraving them on jewelry to sealing documents. The possibilities are virtually limitless, yet personal, and follow the family's history for generations.
Our heraldist is happy to assist you if you wish to develop your first family crest or update an existing one. This can also be the perfect gift for important milestones in life, such as confirmations, weddings, jobs, etc. For many, a family crest means a great deal, as it reminds them of their ancestry. At Juvelér Langaard, we have extensive experience in creating jewelry engraved with coats of arms, such as signet rings or cufflinks. Before meeting with us, it is helpful if you have familiarized yourself a bit with your family's history going back a few generations.
Signet Ring
It is important that the quality of the engraving is clear so that all the details of the family coat of arms are well defined. This technique is called deep engraving. The actual engraving is done in metal or a suitable gemstone. If a single-colored result is desired, a single stone is chosen. If one wants the coat of arms to stand out in a different color, a layered stone is used, which consists of two stones on top of each other. When we engrave through the top layer, the color of the bottom stone appears. This makes the coat of arms stand out clearly.
The technique of engraving into stone is called intaglio. If one wants the crest to stand out from the stone, this is called cameo. A less expensive solution is the standard surface engraving in metal. This method is still considered correct within heraldic tradition and takes less time since the engraving is not as deep. However, the consequence of this type of engraving is that it cannot be used for sealing. When ordering a signet ring without specifying how the engraving should be done, it is always engraved deeply and in mirror image, so that the shield appears in the correct orientation when sealing.
Traditionally, for both women and men, the signet ring is worn on the left pinky finger, but today it is also common to wear the ring on other fingers. Feel free to contact us for a chat about coats of arms and engraving.
