Jewelry Repairs – Life Extension for Your Jewelry

Photo – Russel Heidler – RB Gems
Let’s talk about jewelry repairs. I’ve been hearing all the time things like, “my ring broke at the bottom”, “my diamond fell out” or “my pearls broke.” “My chains tangled.”
The calls I want to get are, “seems like time to check my prongs,” “I bet my pearls are due for a restringing,” or “could you come by and check my rings and look at my necklaces to see if they need a tune up?”
You love your jewelry. A great way to have it love you, and last longer and not let you down is to tune it up now and again just like a car.
The Mystery of Jewelry Breakage, “But I Didn’t Do Anything to it!”
I too have been that person who looks down to see a gemstone missing and the first thing I say to myself is, “but I didn’t hit it or anything.”
I’m kind of upset that it “happened” to me. Like I had nothing to do with it.
Then I get out my loupe and look closely at the prongs and see the story. They are dinged and bent.
So if I didn’t hit it up against something (repeatedly, judging from the worn condition I see) who did? Hmmm, I guess it was me, but I didn’t notice.
I guess I’ll admit that it’s possible since I find random bruises sometimes and have no recollection of colliding with anything. And yet I must have done something to have gotten that little black and blue mark.
These little life collisions happen and your jewelry can get a bit chewed up without your realizing it.
So What do You do About it?
Get on a Schedule in Spring and Fall with Your Jeweler.
Arrange to have your jewelry cleaned.
At the same time have your prongs checked and re-aligned as needed.
Use a calendar, use your phone, but find a way to remind yourself.
Ten Ways to Extend the Life of Your Jewelry Collection with Jewelry Repairs
1. Bring in your pearls to have the knots checked. When they break it’s too late. Restringing not only keeps you pearls safe, but allows them to look their best. See my Ten Reasons You Need to Restring Your Pearls.
2.Bring in your earrings to have them cleaned and have your backings checked. Did you know that all the switching around of earring backings is a big cause of lost earrings? Yup! Go over your earring backings situation with your jeweler. Buy new matching backings where needed and don’t switch them from now on.
3. Bring in your chains for polishing and while you’re at it look over each clasp, not only for weakness, but to see if you can easily open and close it. Many people barely wear some of their chains because they have such annoyingly small clasps. These same people get way more wear out of those chains once we change to a slightly larger clasp. And don’t forget to have your jeweler enlarge the annoyingly small ring your new clasp with hook on to.
4. Look at the engraving details on your engraved jewelry. Is it looking lackluster? Did you know that a good hand engraver can go over and re-engrave and bring back the sharp details of your engraving and make that piece of jewelry look amazing? It’s true. Have this service done and be amazed.
5. Not all jewelry you aren’t wearing is broken. Take your necklaces in to your jeweler and try them on. Are they a good length for you? I’ve shortened too long necklaces for people and had them tell me, “I wear this all the time now.”
6. On the other side of the coin clients have told me, “I’d wear these pearls I inherited, but they are just too short.” I have then located matching pearls and lengthened their necklace. It’s like getting a new piece of jewelry when you solve a problem like this.
7. Have your rings cleaned and polished up like new for a lift in your day when you wear it in its dazzling new cleanness. Dirt and scratches really impede the beauty of your rings especially.
8. Try on each of your rings while with your jeweler and see if they fit nicely. If they are uncomfortably tight have them sized larger. Don’t wait till you lose five pounds. See my post on
9. Bring in your bracelets and have the adjustment of their safety catch checked as well as having them polished. Do check out the security of each clasp while with your jeweler. That clasp could be barely hanging on. Your jeweler will preemptively adjust or outright repair your clasp. Bracelets get a lot of unnoticed banging around, so be sure to bring them in for a bit of love from your jeweler.
10. Bring in your pendants to be checked as well. The bail, the bit that connects your pendant to your chain gets rubbed against the chain every day you wear it. Have your jeweler check the wear on your bail and the little connecting rings too.
Let Your Jeweler Extend the Life of Your Jewelry
People comment on and notice your new jewelry. When it’s properly cleaned and polished it looks new. Have your jewelry cleaned and polished from time to time and enjoy the new look and smiley feel of your happy, tuned up jewelry.
Jewelry repairs come in many flavors. I say all are good for your jewelry.
Clean, Polish, Check and Alter Your Jewelry on a Schedule
Your beloved jewelry collection thanks you.
Let me Love Your Jewelry Back to Life,
Calla Gold
Calla-good advice. I liked to get my rings cleaned and checked on a regular basis. In fact it’s now time for me to do that, and call my special jeweler-Calla Gold!
Ooh Alison,
I’ll wait by the phone like I’m waiting to be asked to prom! I look forward to cleaning and checking your treasures!
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla Gold
How about my favorite necklace breaking on my way to see you?! Great blog post. A lesson in the old saying…maintenance, maintenance, maintenance!!
Darla,
Crazy timing for sure. It just held out till you were seeing me. Just an amazing jewelry maintenance story.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla Gold
I know that there are a lot of times when things mysteriously break so it is good that there are jewelry repair shops that can help. A good thing to do would be to make sure that you have a picture of the jewelry at all times so that if something breaks you will be able to show the jeweler how to fix it. That way the ring/necklace that broke can easily be repaired.
Hi Dave,
Your photo of before you get your repair is a great idea. Especially if there are intricacies in the design of your piece to be repaired.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
I love the pictures. That ring on the puffy finger is me. I will get that ring off and re-sized.
Why is everything so small? I have those too short pearls. They are gorgeous and unworn. That too will be getting changed soon.
This is a great article and inspired me.
Hi Tracey,
I am so pleased that you are inspired! May your jewelry fit well and look wonderful when you wear it!
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
But how to fix the personalized necklaces which you write name on it? I but a name necklace from this online store jewelry personalizer dot com
It looks good and still fine. But if it is broke or get dirty can I do the same thing on it as you say in this article?
Hello Yizhang,
Then solutions suggested in my post are for fine gold, platinum or sterling silver. If your piece is made of a costume base metal it may be difficult to repair.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
Great tips. I would like to share your blogpost on my FB page and give you a credit. May I?
Nancy Geng Vassilakis
Edessa Studio
Hi Nancy,
You may definitely share my jewelry life extention blog post on your FB page!
Be well.
Calla
My mom noticed that her favorite ring has a crack on the band and she wants to have it repaired right away. It was explained here that the jewelry should be checked before it completely breaks. Moreover, it’s recommended to go to trusted experts when in need of jewelry repairs.
Hi Gillian,
This is true. You don’t want to give your jewelry for repair to a jewelry ‘sales’ store. In other words if they sell jewelry, but don’t make, create or design jewelry, they may be sales people and not understand the needs of your mother’s ring.
I hope your mom gets good skilled jewelers to fix her ring.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
I liked that you mentioned a great way to have your jewelry last longer and not let you down is to tune it up like you would a car. My wife has a necklace that has been in her family for a while and she wants to make sure it stays nice so she never wears it. I would love to get her in touch with jewellery repair services and help her maintain it.
Hello Thomas,
I’m glad that you’ll help your wife with maintenance of her necklace so she’ll actually wear it. Yay!
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
I believe my ring broke at the bottom when I took it off yesterday before I went to bed. Maybe I should take it to a jewelry repair service since I want it to last longer. Thanks for telling me that I should see if it’s worn enough to break, so if it is, I’ll take it to a good shop once I find any.
Dear Angela,
The weirdest thing about jewelry breakage is when it happens mysteriously. Like over night, you ask yourself, I was sleeping how did this happen. Another client said I wore it and it was fine, I put it in the jewelry box and took it out a month later and it was broken. Mysteries of the universe, no doubt. You might need to have your ring re-shanked.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
I broke my earrings last month and I want to have it repaired. Thank you for this; I’ll make sure that I’ll bring the pearls to have the knots checked as well.
Hi Rachel,
I’m glad you’ll get your pearls checked. It’s better to preemptively check than have them fall off at some fun event.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla