Jewellery repairs requires regular maintenance and repairs much like your car do, this will enhance the lifespan and enjoyment of your precious belongings, especially jewellery which you wear most often.
Here are some helpful tips, along with what to look for.
Although many assume otherwise, gold, silver, platinum and other precious metals wear much like any other more common metals. In many instances, jewellery made from precious metals such as silver and high karatages of gold, wear out faster than many other regular non-precious metals. When rings or necklace connections are rubbed against each other or other surfaces and metals, they begin to wear. Over time, continuous exposure to this wear and tear will eventually take a toll on the durability and safety of your jewellery. Regular inspections by qualified jewellers and goldsmiths can catch concerning wear before it becomes a bigger issue, and avoid the heartbreaking possible loss of valuable and sentimental stones and even the entire piece of jewellery in worst case scenarios. Here’s what to look for, and do, to protect your jewellery investments.
Rings:
- Reshanking. Wedding and engagement rings are generally more prone to excessive wear and tear due to the fact that they may be the only jewellery you wear on a regular daily basis. Your rings are constantly exposed to direct contact with a variety of surfaces including metal objects and daily-use tools. Unlike most other rings you may wear, wedding and engagement rings also continually rub against each other when worn together. This constant metal-on-metal friction and contact causes many important areas of the rings to completely wear out over time. For example, bands can become increasingly thin and even break over time. Fortunately, this type of long term wear can be repaired and is entirely reversible, providing new life and many more years of daily use and enjoyment of your rings. You should be aware that replacing the band of a ring, also called “re-shanking”, is one of the most costly jewellery repairs because a great deal of gold and labour is used to essentially replace the entire band of your ring. Fortunately, reshanking is also one of the longest lasting repairs.
- Resizing adds both comfort and security when your ring is your correct finger size. Too tight, and your ring can be extremely difficult to remove, especially if you’re hot or your finger becomes swollen. Extremely tight rings can become a major health concern causing an over-inflamed finger and dangerously cutting off circulation. Too loose, and your rings can uncomfortably spin around on your finger, and are at great risk of loss especially when your fingers are wet or cold. Well fitted rings should have resistance and require a comfortable but definite tug to get them off.
- Retipping. When your rings are new, they should have a full and proper amount of metal covering the edge of your diamonds or coloured stone. Whether your stones are claw set, pave set, channel set, or bezel set, the same rules apply. When you wear your rings, rubbing and banging on surfaces and objects can slowly wear down and remove the thickness of your claws or the rim of gold covering and protecting your stones. Eventually, and unexpectedly, weakened claws could snap off, resulting in the heartbreaking loss of a stone. There are no rules how long your claws will last before there is a risk of stone loss. Typically, original claws could easily last 10+ years before needing re-tipping, but if they were undersized or short to begin with, or subject to excessive wear, re-tipping could be required in a matter of years. That is why annual inspection of jewellery by a professional is recommended to ensure there is always enough gold over your stones to protect from loss.
- Rebuilding/reinforcing chains and pendants. Over time, the end loops or rings at the connection point of chains wear out from constantly rubbing against each other. The same applies for loops and rings or bails at the top of pendants. This becomes increasingly prevalent with heavy chains and pendants due to the increased weight of the parts rubbing against each other, for chains/pendants worn every day, or in cases where the person wearing the jewellery has a habit of tugging and fidgeting with the chain/pendant. Annual inspection is recommended to catch wear before links become paper thin and prone to breaking without notice or catching. Rebuilding connection points restores the durability and safety against potential breakage if left unchecked. Much like rings, the longevity of the connection points depends on the factors mentioned above. As a result, regular maintenance is recommended.
With ever-increasing gold and stone prices, you would probably be shocked how much your jewellery has appreciated over the years. It is cheap insurance to regularly inspect and repair your jewellery in order to protect your valueable and sentimental investment, and to add many more years of carefree enjoyment. Don’t forget to update your jewellery appraisals too!
