Ask These Questions to Find the Best Jewelry Repair Service for Your Handmade Jewelry
Jewelry is more than an accessory—it’s a part of us. Whether you wear the same charm bracelet every day and have recently noticed a few loose stones or were gifted a lovely necklace that’s a tad too long, jewelry repair is an essential investment in the lifespan of your collection. If any of your pieces ever break or need resizing, you’re in luck—a jewelry repair expert can fix a long list of common problems.
When it’s time to bring your handmade jewelry in for repairs, it’s important to come prepared. Make sure to ask these helpful questions to find the best fit for you and your collection.
What Qualifies as Jewelry Repair?
Contrary to the name, jewelry repair services offer far more than mending broken links and polishing gold designs. Jewelry repair can include restoring damaged jewelry to its original condition as well as refitting and adjusting pieces to bring them a new life for their owner. If you’re debating whether or not it’s worth taking a piece in to be evaluated for repair, do it!
Common Types of Jewelry Repair Services
Whether you’re looking to buy handmade jewelry or revamping an heirloom design, an experienced jeweler could fix the piece should anything break. The best repair shops offer a wide variety of services to suit any issue that may arise, including:
- Resizing rings, bracelets, and necklaces
- Ring shank replacement
- Prong replacement and re-tipping
- Cleaning and polishing
- Stone replacement
- Clasp repair or replacement
- Pearl restringing
- Watch battery replacement
- Precious metal plating
Why Does Jewelry Repair Matter?
There’s nothing worse than having your favorite artisan-made pair of hoop earrings break. But just because a clasp breaks off or a stone falls out of a design doesn’t mean the jewelry should be thrown away. Investing the time and money into a repair lets you cherish your favorite pieces for years.
Scheduled upkeep and repair can also help to maintain the overall value of your jewelry collection, whether it’s a sentimental piece your loved one bought you or a locally handcrafted design. The repair professionals have the right tools to provide you with high-quality results, ensuring that a repair won’t detract long-term value from the piece.
Jewelry repair can also make your collection look brand new! If you’ve inherited a family heirloom, found a secondhand piece, or didn’t care correctly for a lavender beaded necklace a few years ago, some pieces may not appear to their fullest brilliance. From polishing to resizing and every small adjustment in between, a trained expert can refresh the look of all of your favorite jewelry.
Must-Ask Jewelry Repair Questions
Sometimes, your favorite handmade jewelry needs a little TLC—no shame in that! When you inquire about a business’s repair services, make sure to ask these questions along the way to determine if it’s the correct option for you and your collection:
Can I Get a Jewelry Repair Quote?
Before you commit to a repair, you should always ask for a quote for the service you wish to receive. The final price could vary depending on the type of jewelry you bring in as well as the repair your piece requires, whether you’re looking to have your collection of gold jewelry polished or a local artist’s Chantilly diamond ring sized to fit your finger.
What Type of Jewelry Do Your Repair Specialists Work On?
Not all repair shops can be treated equally—some of them are more suited to fix certain kinds of jewelry than others. A trained eye knows the best approach for working on designer, antique, and handmade jewelry.
Pro tip: Some businesses will only repair their own designs, while others (like us) are happy to assist in almost any piece you bring in.
Is the Jewelry Repaired In-House or Sent Out?
Before you agree to leave your designs in the hands of the jewelers, it’s worth knowing whether the repair will happen on-site at the jewelry store or if it will be sent out to another location. On-site tends to be the preferred option, as this lowers the risk of a company losing your precious handmade pieces and decreases the turnaround time from drop-off to completion. The most reputable places offer on-site jewelry repair, saving outside fixes for rare and extensive situations.
How Long Will the Repair Take?
Whether you’re dropping off a pair of handcrafted earrings or a set of bangles, your jeweler should be able to give you a clear, consistent, and accurate time frame for your repair. This estimate can depend on the type of repair your jewelry needs, as each one has its own complexity. The more transparent a business is about the turnaround, the more trustworthy it becomes.
5 Tips for Jewelry Repair:
Tip #1: As you search for a repair service, don’t underestimate the power of online reviews! Check out the ratings and reviews left by those who’ve used their services to determine if they’re a good option for you.
Tip #2: Before you consider if the artisan-made piece is worth paying to fix, ask yourself if you’ll truly wear it again. If the answer is “no,” then repair may not be worth the time—but a custom jewelry design that incorporates elements from that piece into a new design may be!
Tip #3: The best way to elongate the lifespan of your jewelry is by committing to the care and upkeep of your jewelry. If you properly store your collection, you can avoid the need for constant trips to the repair shop in the first place.
Tip #4: Before leaving your piece of jewelry at a repair shop, look over the piece thoroughly.
Tip #5: Make sure you have a receipt for the jewelry you are leaving, detailing specifics such as chain length, karat, number of stones or beads, and the condition of the jewelry.
You deserve a collection of handmade jewelry that lasts a lifetime, and finding the best repair specialist is the key to making that happen. Whether you need your carefully chosen diamond engagement ring polished before the big day or your favorite crystal-beaded necklace caught a snag, our team of experts is here to help. Stop by and talk to our team to see for yourself!