Gold Jewelry Repair Kit

Your gold jewelry tells a story of who you are, where you’ve been and with whom you’ve shared your life. From the diamond ring he gave you on your wedding day to the stretch magic bead necklace that reminds you of your first date, each piece reflects more than just your fashion sense and refined taste; it’s often an emotional link to a significant event or memory. So, when damage occurs to that special earring or clasp, it’s more than just a piece of jewelry – it’s a painful reminder of something broken and lost.

When your bracelet, ring or necklace chains break, or their clasps become unusable, it’s important to take care of them as soon as possible. Most chain repair is fairly simple and can be completed in-house, such as repairing a broken link or soldering the clasp back together.

A professional jeweler can also repair clasps and chains, including repairing the links between the clasp and a dangling charm. These types of repairs typically cost between $10 and $15 per link.

Many of the links on a chain are made from a low-quality base metal such as copper or brass and can eventually tarnish or break. To extend the life of your jewelry, buy only quality pieces that are marked “gold-filled” or “vermeil” – these pieces contain more gold than their cheaper counterparts. They are also less likely to tarnish and rust, as these higher-quality alloys have greater durability.

Discolored jewelry may simply need a polishing to restore its original appearance, or the gold may need to be re-plated. It’s best to leave this type of repair to a jeweler because it can be tricky for a novice to get the job done correctly without the risk of ruining the piece altogether.

Another common repair for rings is the re-shanking of a ring shank. Over time the ring shank can weaken and bend inward. A jeweler re-shanks the ring by soldering the shank, which repairs this structural problem and helps prevent future looseness.

Gemstone prongs wear over time and can eventually flatten – we often refer to this as the not-so-technical term “pancake prongs”. The top of the prong notch where the gem rests should be nicely rounded, but over time it will become flat, leaving less metal holding your precious gemstone in place. A jeweler can fix this by re-rounding and re-tipping the prongs, which will make your stones safer and look like new.

It’s easy to replace a dangling earring hook by removing the old one and attaching a new one using jump rings or loops. Snipe nose pliers can be used to open the loop or jump ring and then the new earring hook can be attached to replace it.