Five Jewelry Repair MUST HAVES
If your piece is worth going to the trouble to repair or restore to its original luster, then it’s surely of great value to you - be it monetary or sentimental. Some repairs are easier than others, but the most it’s challenging of restorations that require a master jeweler to make things right again. Finding the right jeweler to fix your piece is the key to a good repair. Here are our top 4 recommended “must haves” for a jeweler to do an exemplary jewelry repair:
1. The Jeweler Should Work Under a Microscope
Jewelry is typically very small and dainty, which makes it difficult to ensure all the details are perfect with the naked eye. Making a repair without a microscope is like flying blind: Cracks and porosity in the metal may be missed, loose gems and settings cannot be inspected thoroughly, and fine scratches, smudges, or dents can go unnoticed. All these damages, no matter how small, can add up to piece that’s simply unfit for a lifetime of confident wear.
2. The Jeweler Should Provide a Firm Estimate for Work
What it will cost to fix your jewelry shouldn’t be a mystery. An experienced and reputable jeweler should be able to quote a firm estimate and stick to that number from beginning to end. In addition, have your jeweler provide you with clear before and after pictures to demonstrate all the work done and offer a guarantee to its quality.
3. The Jeweler Should Have Access to a Laser Welder
When old world techniques meet 21st century technology, the results can be truly stunning. By using a cutting edge laser welder, pieces can be resized, retipped, and otherwise restored with none of the seams or fragile bonds from repairs in the past. What’s more, because the process is both more efficient with time and materials, repairs are less costly overall.
4. The Jeweler Should Be Able to Complete the Work Themselves
If your piece is of great value and sentiment to you, don’t you want to know who or where your property is going to? The jewelry industry has changed a great deal in recent years and few jewelers actually do their own work. Instead, they will send it out (sometimes even out of state) for someone else to do. Make sure your “jeweler” can work on fine pieces, not just sell them.
5. One Year Service Warranty
All jewelry repairs are warranted for one year from delivery date, unless otherwise specified. Only the specific repairs performed are covered. Problems resulting from abusive wear, customer negligence, or accidental damage are not covered. We do not guarantee the security of stones we did not set, in jewelry we did not make. This may seem obvious, but to be clear, for repairs & restorations, stone tightening and any other maintenance, we only guarantee the work we do. (For example, if we size a ring we will do our best to check the quality of the settings, but we do not take liability for work done by other companies.) Items left over 12 months may be sold to recover repair and service costs.
