Jewellers in Johannesburg: design, remodelling, valuations and aftercare from one bench

Prodiam remodels old and inherited jewellery on its own bench in Bedfordview. An heirloom redesign keeps the stones that matter, re-sets them in a new design in 18k gold or platinum, and is quoted as a complete piece before any work begins. A chipped or dated stone is assessed with what a recut could gain in mind, because the cutting works is part of the same operation.

Send photos on WhatsApp first, or bring the piece to a viewing by appointment.

Send Prodiam the specification and the GIA report number, and the desk returns a firm like-for-like rand quote on the same certified specification, including VAT and referenced to the Rapaport list, so you can see whether the first quote is fair. To check the stone itself, bring it and its report to the Bedfordview viewing room; GIA South Africa’s laboratory is in the same building if you want a full independent report.

Start with the laboratory report number and look it up on the lab’s own website, then match the stone to that report: any laser inscription, the measurements and the grades should all agree. Prodiam’s verification guide sets out how, and the Bedfordview viewing room will look at a stone with you.

For a full grading or treatment screening, GIA South Africa and EGL South Africa both have laboratories in The Paragon, the building Prodiam works from.

Prodiam does. Old gold is bought at a published rate, the live gold price less 10% on the melt value, tested in front of you, and any diamonds in the piece are valued separately against the Rapaport list; that value can go towards a new piece made on the same bench. An old engagement ring can also be traded in whole, or you can keep its centre stone and replace only the setting.

A written insurance valuation comes with every Prodiam piece. For a ring bought elsewhere, Prodiam gives a selling valuation, the number the desk would actually pay, on a 48-hour process. An insurance replacement value and a selling value are different documents that can sit far apart, so the desk tells you which one you need before any number is quoted.

At Prodiam a viewing is private, one client at a time, with no pressure and no obligation. The person who knows the stones shows you certified diamonds side by side, reads the report to you line by line, and explains which grades change the look and which only change the price. Allow about 45 minutes to an hour, and read the first-time buyer’s guide beforehand if you would like the basics first.

Yes. In Prodiam Atelier you can explore designs in 3D, change the setting and the metal, and save a design summary to brief the bench. The setting is then drawn up, by CAD render where it helps, and adjusted until you sign it off before anything is cast. A made-to-order engagement ring usually takes three to five weeks from the approved brief.

Prodiam buys diamonds and diamond jewellery by appointment in a secured building in Bedfordview. The stone is valued against the Rapaport list on the day with the working shown, a selling valuation takes about 48 hours, and once you accept, cleared funds follow within 72 hours by verified bank transfer, FICA-compliant, never envelope cash. You can start by sending photos and any certificate on WhatsApp.