Radical Jewelry Makeover was founded in 2007 and has been iterated many times (see installments here). This project relies on the broader community to donate jewelry (costume or fine jewelry, intact or broken) and “mine” their own narratives connected to that jewelry. The donated material is then utilized by a team of jewelers, students and professionals alike, in the creation of new pieces. The project culminates in an exhibition of the new work where each piece can be purchased.

If you are interested in donating your outdated, broken, or unwanted jewelry to our project, please complete and sign one of the donation forms linked below and include with your jewelry. Donations can be mailed to:

Radical Jewelry Makeover
ATTN: Susie Ganch
VCU School of the Arts
Fine Arts Building
1000 West Broad Street
Richmond, VA 23284

All donations are tax-deductible* and will NOT be returned. Donations will be assigned a dollar discount coupon value by the organizers based on the value of materials (gold, sterling silver, plated, plastic, etc.). A record will be kept of all donation discounts, and jewelry donors will be able to apply their donation discount coupon towards the purchase of a piece of Makeover jewelry. Donors will receive an email stating coupon value and will be able to redeem their discounts in person at the next exhibition and through online sales.

*To the full extent permitted by law. Assessing the Fair Market Value of the donation for tax purposes is the responsibility of the donor prior to the event. Ethical Metalsmiths is not an appraiser and will not appraise donations, however, donations made with an appraisal document will be honored for their full tax-deductible value. All donations become the sole property of Ethical Metalsmiths.