Signs That Your Jewelry Needs Repair

Over time, jewelry will get dirty and scratched from regular wear and tear. This is normal and can be easily fixed by a professional jeweler.

However, other signs indicate that your jewelry may need to be repaired.

Loose Clasps

The clasp (or lock) is a critical piece of jewelry for keeping your necklace or bracelet secure. Unfortunately, constant opening and closing can cause this tiny, malleable piece to loosen over time.

When this happens, you may need to replace or repair the clasp. This can be a quick and inexpensive repair, depending on the clasp used in your jewelry.

A simple chain clasp, for example, can usually be repaired by loosening the little flat component that holds it and bending it back into shape with pliers. Like a lobster or bolo clasp, a more complex clasp is typically repaired by soldering the jump ring and clasp together.

The best way to prevent these problems is to schedule regular cleanings and inspections with professional jewelry repair services in Los Angeles. This will allow your jeweler to map out trouble spots and fix them before they become serious issues that can damage your jewelry. You should also invest in affordable fine jewelry insurance to cover your items in case of an accident or theft.

Jewelry: Broken or Damaged Prongs

Prongs (the little metal fingers that hold your gemstone in place) can wear thin and flat over time. This can result from everyday wear or bumping into furniture or door handles. A prong no longer rounded and looks flat like a pancake may be in danger of becoming a dull catch for your gem or falling out completely.

According to Gold ‘N I Jewelers, if you notice a prong is flat or no longer holding your gemstone in place, it’s time to bring it in for repair. This is a typical service known as “prong retipping.” The jeweler adds more metal to the prong to strengthen it and ensure it covers the stone firmly enough to keep it in place.

Another sign that your prongs need repair is if you can pinch the tip of a prong and make it fold easily. This is called “prong re-tipping”. The jeweler simply replaces the sharp point of a worn prong with a new tip to give it a fresh, stronger shape.

Loose Gemstones

Over time, even when proper care is taken, stones in rings can become loose in their settings. Bumping into furniture, getting snagged on clothing, or simply daily wear can cause the prongs to weaken. When this occurs, the stone may fall out of its setting completely. This is a sign that it’s time for a prong repair.

Jewelry can hold many sentimental and valuable memories—a diamond ring from your spouse, pearls you picked out with your new baby or an amber pendant from a romantic vacation. Damage to these pieces can be devastating because they affect our appearance, sense of belonging, and security. This is why choosing reputable dealers is important when buying gemstones online or in person. These experts can ensure that the stones you buy are of quality and will meet the demands of everyday use. 

Broken Chains

Even the most well-maintained jewelry pieces will require repair or maintenance over time. Scheduling regular cleanings is one of the wisest preventative strategies, and it gives our jewelers a chance to map out trouble spots for future repairs before they occur.

Necklace bails (pronounced bales) experience a lot of wear and tear. A small metal loop at the top of a pendant or charm is intimately connected to your chain and vital to your jewelry’s look and feel. Our necklace bail replacement service restores worn or broken clasps and adds new ones where needed.

Soldering is a technique that’s best left to professionals to avoid loosening stone settings and other issues. Our skilled team specializes in chain and pearl restringing, ring sizing and soldering, prong re-tipping or replacement, and more. We use a low-melt soldering process that uses very little flux (a chemical that removes oxidation and helps solder metals together) and is quick and effective.