Top Three Reasons Your Jewelry Broke – The Jewelry Hall of Shame
This Amount of Bending is so Not Good
My jeweler friend Casey Gallant, of Stephen Gallant Jewelers wrote this up and is letting me share. This is as good an excuse as any to share pictures of messed up jewelry. Which jewelers love to do. I'm calling this post the jewelry hall of shame because I'm proud of all these great broken jewelry pics.
TOP 3 REASONS YOUR JEWELRY BROKE....hint....it's usually not the jewelry's fault. -- Casey Gallant
Combining a Fairly Thin Ring Shank with Diamonds Spells Trouble Long Term
Folks, we're serving up some tough love today.
Thin is Pretty, but it isn't Sturdy
We saw over a dozen pieces of jewelry come in this week whose damage could have easily been avoided.
The Prong Set Up on This Ring is Shared Prong. She's Lucky She Didn't Lose Two Diamonds
Since our customers acted surprised when we told them how, we thought we'd share some tips on how to get the longest life out of your jewelry.
Three Reasons Jewelry Broke
Don't Wait This Long to Pull Your Hair off Your Chain
- Sleeping in it. Yep, seems harmless, you're just resting for hours, right? But prongs can snag in sheets and hair gets tangled around chains overnight EVERY night and can cause them to break.
- Wearing it to the gym (or golfing, or mowing the lawn, or tennis, etc). Any activity where you are lifting or pushing a heavy object is going to damage the back of a ring (see Photo). These activities are the perfect time to pop on a Qalo silicon band to protect your finger AND your fine jewelry rings.
No Caption Needed
- Dirt. The #1 thing we hear is "I wear it all the time." And that's ok, but you need to clean your jewelry, and not just so it LOOKS pretty. Dust from the air (or dirt from your garden, sand from the beach) and oils from your skin (lotions, sunscreens, bugspray) can combine to act like a sandpaper and wear away at the metal links in your bracelets and necklaces, and between rings to wear them thin.
Can We Talk About Wearing Jewelry 24/7?
"My ring is getting hung up on my clothes. I think I need a new prong. Do I have to leave it? I never take it off. I can't live without my ring!" Name left off to protect the innocent.
It's a good idea to take off your ring at least once a month and clean your ring . Uncleaned rings can lead to contact dermatitis or other irritated skin reactions. Dirt gets between prongs and gems, changing the position of your prongs and months later that dirt comes out. Yay, your ring is clean. But your setting is now looser, this lays the groundwork for you to lose your gemstones.
Just because no gemstones have fallen out of your ring, or it's not showing breakage, or catching on your clothes, doesn't mean it doesn't need a tune-up. This intricate vintage ring is in dire need of help, but it is valiantly soldiering on in spite of its need.
What Can You Do to Avoid the Jewelry Hall of Shame?
Be Careful Where You Put Your Rings Down, They Might Have an Unfortunate Adventure
Listen, there's no law against wearing your jewelry 24/7. And we certainly don't suggest you put your jewelry away and not wear it; you should enjoy it! Just set the correct expectations if you do.
This is What Migrating Prongs Look Like. Not Good. Don't Wait This Long
The more you wear it, and the rougher you wear it, the more you will need to maintain it. Remember, we always do checking when we do cleaning, so don't hesitate to get a cleaning.
Leaning on Your Telephone Can Bend Your Earrings
Remember diamonds are forever, but the metal holding them needs care and maintenance!
Casey Gallant
Avoid Putting Your Jewelry Down Near a Garbage Disposal
Garbage Disposals Are Hard on Rings
I thought I'd add a few tips from the archives of, "I never saw this before!" My friend Sako of Cicada Jewelry sourced and cut the opal needed to return this ring to loveliness. My hat is off to him. If you'd like to see more garbage disposal craziness check out my blog post, Ring vs Garbage Disposal Story. I've been dying to see this ring in the jewelry hall of shame. Do check out the blog, it had a happy ending.
Avoid Running Over Your Jewelry With Your Car
Not Only Was This Ring Flattened, But the Rose Cut Diamond is Destroyed
I've seen more than one ring run over. Full disclosure, I ran over an earring that fell off my ear. Still not sure how I managed that. Luckily it was a round brilliant diamond and thought the setting was toast, I reset the diamond which didn't even get chipped.
Antique Jewelry and the Damage That Can Happen
This Antique Ring Was Saved With Restoration
Sometimes jewelry just gets so worn that simple repair isn't good enough. In the case of this sweet ring the filigree hearts broke after years of wearing. Happily the right jeweler lovingly brought it back to life. It's now being checked yearly and doing well.
The Jewelry Hall of Shame - Your Ring's Prongs
The Side Diamonds Only Have Two Prongs. If One of Those Prongs Bent Out of Alignment Like the Center Diamond's, They Would Have Been Lost
When I was a young jeweler, I had no idea how prongs can wear out, twist around or snap off. After thirty six years, I've learned my lesson. Now I tell everyone, get your prongs checked at least once a year.
Just Because You Have Six Prongs, It Doesn't Mean Your Prongs are Alright
I love this picture of the bent and broken off prongs. You look at it and you think, "Oh, I'd totally notice that." But even people who regularly look at their jewelry regularly can have disasters like this happen. It's like we glance at it and see a picture in our minds from when it was cleaner and in good working order.
Older Rings Can Have Original Prongs All Wearing Out and Old Repairs That May Need Re-Doing. Arrows at Old Weird Repairs
Older rings need to be checked more often because there is more wear on their settings. When one prong breaks off it is often a great idea to check all the other prongs and have others preemptively fixed at the same time. When you have more gemstones it's easier to miss that problems are developing. In the pictured multi-diamond ring shown it suffered from weird previous repairs as well as worn down prongs.
When You're Not Looking, Your Prong Can Pull Outward. Why? I Haven't Figured That Out Yet
Prongs don't always snap off. Sometimes they bend outward. Warning signs are catching on clothing. It's not always as obvious as this runaway prong.
Eternity Bands Can Get Damage on All Sides
Excessive Wear is Not Unusual on Eternity Bands. One Side is Always on the Bottom Where it Can be Damaged When You're Not Looking
Daily wear can wear down your metal. This is a very worn platinum eternity band. It's amazing how much the bottom of your ring gets beat up. This is my excuse to find a place to show what happens to a ring on the bottom of your hand. For my eternity band lovers who wonder, "how did that happen?" It just does. Since every part of your ring spends some of its time on the underside of your hand, it will get dinged up the most there. When that part works its way to the top it won't look great.
Knowing the Strength of Your Gemstone Helps You Wear it and Care For it Successfully
Wearing a Delicate Gemstone Like a Tanzanite Without Knowing its Fragility Can Lead to Disaster
When you receive a ring for a gift, consider finding out about that gemstone. Most people know that opal is soft, but not everyone knows about tanzanite, or other easily scratched gems. An ounce of prevention and knowledge can help you avoid a sad situation like this one. There is a scale of gemstone hardness I write about. It is called the Mohs Scale of Hardness.
My Fellow Jewelers, Beating Back Broken Jewelry, Turning Tears to Smiles Every Day
I want to thank my jeweler friends, most of whom are in Jewelers Helping Jewelers, who generously shared pictures for my jewelry hall of shame:
My Lovely Jeweler Friends
Sako Khatcherian at Cicada Jewelers, Los Angeles California,William Cano, owner of Cano's Diamonds in San Angelo Texas,Timothy Hunter Hawkins, West Main Jewelry in Dothan Alabama,Deborah Rember Faubian, of Jay's Jewelry, Chickasha Oklahoma,Jen Hollywood Showell, J Hollywood Designs, Exton Pennsylvania,Dawn and Todd Nickel, Owners at Weigal Jewelry in Beatrice Nebraska,Lily Bieling,Aladar Solymosi, at Youngs Jewelry in Cleveland Ohio,
Charles Norton and Chuck Norton Designs, Dunwoody Georgia,Jessica Ioerger, of Lucky Hunter Jewelry in Eureka Illinois Luisa Valeria Smith, at Cornerstone Jewelers in Colorado Springs, Colorado,Alex Artinian, Designer at Facet Grade Jewelry, in Boston Mass,Scott Isaacs, Owner at Belle Meade Jewelry and Repair in Nashville Tennessee.
You make me smile, you answer my questions and you are my tribe. We jewelers love to share our pictures of jewelry in distress. One of our wacky pastimes. Let me know if you enjoy it as well.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
My #1 reason prongs break off and chains break is BLEACH! It eats the alloy and destroys your jewelry. #1
Dear LaVerne,
You are so right that chlorine breaks down some metals. White gold, specifically the alloys in white gold are very vulnerable to chlorine. Swimmers should remove their white gold rings before swimming in a chlorinated body of water.
Thank you for highlighting this often unknown hazard.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
One of the little diamonds in my mother’s wedding ring popped off this week. Thankfully she was able to find the diamond but I am wondering why it happened. It am good to know that the prongs on diamonds can become weak or snap off. That might be something we have checked on my mother’s ring.
Hi Penelope, You’ve probably heard the jeweler say, have your ring checked yearly. Most people are good about that for a couple of years and then life gets busy and it drops out. A few years later a diamond is mysteriously gone. I’ve seen it many times. For the record I’ve forgotten to check my own rings. Proving that the shoe maker’s kids go barefoot. But that said, having your rings checked regularly is a great way to prevent losses. Your mom might like her own loupe to check her ring at home. Check out this post: https://www.callagold.com/education/how-to-use-a-jewelers-loupe/ Your Personal… Read more »
It’s good to know that wearing your jewellery while lifting heavy objects can damage it to the point where it needs repair. My wife wears her wedding ring for everything. She wears it to the gym, while mowing the lawn, and doing any other number of things. I’ll pass this information along to her so that she knows she might be damaging her ring.
Hi Thomas,
I love that your wife goes to the gym and mows the lawn. Dude you are a lucky man to have so capable and strong a woman. It would however be best if she took her ring off before lifting.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
Good post! So I recently got engaged and after only a month of having the ring the main stone came loose! I took it to a local jeweler and he said that it wasn’t set properly to begin with…you could literally bend the prongs with your finger. Have you ever heard of this problem? I ended up getting the prongs replaced but don’t know how to judge the quality of the work. Does it matter if the prongs are equal distance along the sides of the gemstone? How about the underside of the setting (mine now is warped looking, although… Read more »
Hello Jennifer,
A prong that can bend when you press it with your finger is horrifying. It would be helpful to know the metal used in this ring. And to see pictures. This is the post with the picture instructions in it:’https://www.callagold.com/education/how-to-send-ring-pictures-to-your-jeweler-effectively/
Congratulations on your engagement!
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
That’s a good point that sleeping in jewelry can tangle it in your hair or get it snagged on your sheets. My daughter has a favorite bracelet that her dad gave her and she keeps doing that exact thing. She eventually broke it, so now we need to get it fixed. We’ll have to find a jewelry repair place to fix it so she can continue to wear it during the daytime.
Hi Mindy,
When we love something like that bracelet there is the urge to wear it day and night. And I get it, taking them on and off is more difficult than a necklace. See if when you’re having her bracelet fixed if a larger clasp might help her take it on and off more easily.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
Thanks for your advice on how to take care of your wedding ring! My husband wants to buy new rings for our anniversary. We’ll keep your tips in mind for our new rings.
I love how you said to clean your ring once a month so that it doesn’t get damaged. My wedding ring has seen better days, so I’m thinking of getting it cleaned. Maybe my husband will want to clean his too.
Hi Tori,
Cleaning your ring is a good idea. A good jeweler can let you know if there are any issues with your ring at that time.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
It’s good to know that rings tend to get dinged up on their bottom sides. My brother has been telling me about how he wants to get a custom engagement ring to propose to his girlfriend with. I’ll share this information with him so that he can take good care of it.
Hi Austin,
Let your brother know it’s important to check the thickness at the bottom of the ring he is considering. Some rings just are too thin.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
Very interesting , good job and thanks for sharing such a good information about the repair of the broken jewelry. As we should take care it properly. But there are some reasons in which jewelry breaks and we cannot do anything. This blog explains all that reasons.
Hi Evan,
You speak the truth, a lot can happen and sometimes we can’t help what happens to our jewelry.
Your Personal Jeweler,
Calla
I had a solid 9ct gold and emerald dress ring years ago. (Purchased from a reputable jeweller and stamped 375). One night as I sat watching TV, I was turning the ring about my finger and suddenly noticed the band was changing shape as I turned it, it had pressed into a tight oval shape on my finger as I wore it, compressing the finger tightly. I was astounded and began trying to turn it, rubbing it as I did so. It was changing shape again, eventually I was able to take it off. It was misshapen now, not the… Read more »
Hi Nance,
That is a most odd occurrence. Generally the lower the karat of gold, the higher the amount of harder alloy metals. That would make your ring stiffer. The reason why class rings are 10kt is that the stiffer, stronger alloy metals hold tight the details stamped into them.
Calla