Even the strongest metals and stones used in jewelry can be fragile.
Your cherished jewelry may become damaged, chipped, cracked, or tarnished if it isn’t properly cleaned, maintained, and taken care of. Even diamonds, although they are said to last forever, cannot be considered indestructible. However, you should be able to identify visible and less obvious signs that your jewelry is in need of jewelry repair services.
Tell-tale Signs Your Jewelry Needs Repair
- If you have gemstones in your jewelry, you should take a closer look at the prongs.
- To check for movement, gently touch the tip of the stone/stones to ensure it’s secure.
- If you are looking for rings, make sure to inspect the shank (the part closest to your palm) for signs of wear and damage.
- For broken links, look closely at chains and bracelets.
- Make sure to check the clasps to ensure they close securely.
- You should lookout for signs of discoloration that could indicate metal’s loss of strength.
This process is quick and easy and can help protect your pieces of jewelry from severe jewelry repairs.
5 Most Common Jewelry Repairs With Visible Damages That Jewelers can Fix
1. Resize a Ring
Ring sizing is the most popular on the jewelry repairs list. This is a simple task. Your jeweler will measure your finger and make sure the ring fits perfectly. These ring sizes can be adjusted if necessary to ensure that your precious gems stay on your finger. Jewelers consider this to be one of the most common quick jewelry repairs being done almost everyday. Jewelry adjustments needed to be done with the ring depends whether it calls for an increase or decrease in size. If the ring is tight, they will open the shank and add the metal. On the other hand, if it’s falling,they will remove the excess part and solder the metal together.
2. Prong Repair
Wearing rings constantly can make prongs more sensitive and risk of losing precious gemstones. Prongs can be repaired to match their size, shape, and dimension. In addition, prongs should be completely covered by the crown of the stone to ensure that they don’t catch on your clothing. An expert jeweler can repair, re-tip or replace the prong depending on the severity of the damage. An adept jeweler should handle this jewelry adjustments because it’s not easy to secure a stone without adding up to the problem if not done correctly.
3. Ring Head Repair and Replacement
If the ring’s design is enormous on the finger, the head can easily be damaged by daily abrasions from contact with other surfaces. This could weaken prongs or even cause damage to the gems. A jeweler might recommend a complete ring restoration or jewelry alterations to ensure that the ring is intact. The jeweler will then discuss options for head replacement if the head can be removed. A head can be made exactly like your original design. You can choose to have the same head as your original design, or you can get something completely different. The ring will then be polished and cleaned after the stone is inserted into the new head.
4. Chain Repair
After a repair, a chain is not as strong as before it was damaged. Flat chain repairs can be almost undetectable. However, if the damage to the chain is severe, it’s possible to experience tension while wearing it again. Link chains such as cable, rope chains and herringbone chains are more complex to repair because of their intricacies. Some jewelers may charge these quick jewelry repairs an additional fee. This kind of jewelry damage is usually obvious to the naked eye. Either the chain will come apart or the clasp will stop working. In local jewelry repair shops, they will repair any damage to the chain using the same kind of metal. Then replace the broken clasp by taking the old one off.
5. Loose Gemstone Repair
A gemstone can become loose over time and begin to spin within its settings or bounce back and forth. If your jewelry is hit hard or taken a beating, this can happen, thus the need for immediate jewelry repairs. If you find a broken gemstone, don’t wear it anymore. There is a possibility that the gem may fall out.
Sometimes you just need to tighten the prongs when a loose gemstone is present. Your local jewelry repair shop will use tools used in jewelry alterations in order to return the metal to its original position. This ensures that the gemstone is properly seated and that the prongs are tight to it.
How To Prolong the Life of Your Jewelry
Jewelry is meant to be worn. Although, while wearing your finest pieces can make you feel great, it can also put them at risk. That said, wear your elegant jewelry with pride, keep in mind that you deserve having them.
There will come a time when your jewelry will break, fall off, or become less wearable. Consequently, while you continue to wear your jewelry, it becomes more prone to damage, which may demand for extensive jewelry repairs in the long run.
You can slow this down with a few simple precautionary steps.
- Don’t let your jewelry get wet. This can cause cracks, loss of shine, and water stains.
- Avoid chemicals. Although it may seem obvious, there are harmful chemicals in hairspray, perfumes, and lotions. These products should be kept away from your jewelry.
- Rotate jewelry. You shouldn’t wear the exact same piece of jewelry everyday. It will become less durable if it is worn too often.
- When to take it off. You should take off your jewelry before going to bed.
Maintain Your Jewelry With Help From Portofino Jewelry
Jewelry repair professionals can handle the most common repairs to bring back your jewelry to life. It is possible to save money by catching jewelry damage before it even happens.
How do you do it? It’s easy, just simply bring it to Jewelry Store Avon for a complete and detailed evaluation. With us, you can be confident to entrust your jewelry and be assured that there will be no signs of repairs when you get it back. It’ll be just like it’s original appearance. How does that sound? Sweet!