Jewelry isn’t indestructible. It’s possible to be damaged, especially if you wear it every day. Your favorite earrings, for example, may not be an heirloom from Grandma, but you don’t want to let them go because one of the wires has bent or the clasp has broken. Your chain might become tangled, kinked, or even twist around your neck and become quite uncomfortable. However, if the worst does happen and a piece of your jewelry breaks, at least there are some things you can do while it’s still in one piece.
What You Can Do With a Broken Jewelry Piece
If you have a favorite piece of jewelry that means the world to you, it can be highly upsetting if something goes wrong with it. Here are seven things you need to do as soon as your jewelry breaks.
1. Take it To a Jeweler
When something goes wrong with one of your jewelry pieces, the first thing you should do is take it to a professional jeweler. They will assess the damage and see what can be done to fix it. A jeweler is capable of repairing a piece of jewelry. Whether it’s a small stone that has fallen out, a wire bent, or a tangled up chain that twists around your neck. If you want the jewelry back in tip-top condition, jewelry repair in Woodbridge, VA, will do the job for you. They’ll also likely refer to insurance policies and discuss costs with you before any work is carried out since repairs can get quite pricey.
2. Get an Appraisal
Once you realize your jewelry is broken, it’s essential to get an appraisal. The jeweler will determine how much the piece of jewelry is worth, how long it took to make, and exactly what type of metal has been used to fashion it. The appraisal can be used to help you receive a replacement piece of jewelry if necessary, or it might just give you an idea of how much the item was worth to begin with. This is particularly useful if you’re looking for insurance purposes or want cash instead of a straight-up replacement for your broken piece.
3. Repair It Yourself
The next thing you can do if one of your pieces of jewelry breaks is to try and repair it yourself. Fixing a broken necklace is relatively easy if you have the right tools and an idea. This may seem like a challenging task, but it can be done with patience, a little help from YouTube, and careful consideration of the cost-benefits. However, there are some things that you might want to consider when doing this, such as:
- How much money do I have available?
- Have I had a piece like this repaired before?
- Is it valuable or sentimental to me?
Study these questions carefully and decide what the best option is. If all of these considerations come up positive, then go for it because if your jeweler can’t repair an item or you don’t trust yourself to do it, then there are other options you can look into.
4. Use A Link Remover
If your jewelry is critical and sentimental, then you might want to consider using a jeweler or a link remover tool if it’s possible to recreate the piece from individual links. This isn’t always the cheapest way to replace a broken piece of jewelry, but it can be more cost-effective than replacing an entire necklace if it’s just one or two links that are damaged. Another alternative would be to use a jewelers bench press designed for straightening curved pieces of wire such as necklaces and bracelets. They’ll also have some small tools available to undo any bent wires or fix loose beads, which will save you from having to buy new jewelry items.
5. Make Your Clasps Or Find One To Fit And Save Money
Your third option would be to make your clasps. All you need is some strong wire that can be bent into the same shape as the clasp on your jewelry and then filed down so it’s smooth enough not to damage the chain or cord of your necklace and strong enough to withstand daily wear and tear. You can buy wire at online stores or any local craft store, and it’s not going to cost you a lot of money. Once you have the wire, create the clasps as needed and attach them to your broken jewelry. It’ll be more robust than before and save you from having to visit a jeweler or purchase new items of jewelry that may or may not fit your style.
6. Get A Diagram And Make An Adjustment
If all else fails, you could consider getting a diagram and making a slight adjustment yourself by adding a jump ring or an extender. You should never forget to be as careful as you can when doing this because it will be challenging to carry out if the piece of jewelry is badly damaged. Jump rings are great for adding to necklaces, while an extender is perfect for bracelets. You can find both of these items at craft stores or online retailers that sell jewelry-making supplies.
7. Give It Up As a Lost Cause
If nothing seems to work and no one can offer a solution, your best option would probably be to give up on it and move on to something else. Find a piece of jewelry that has sentimental value but isn’t irreplaceable, or use wire cutters or sharp scissors to remove any excess links from your broken chain, so you can wear it without causing too much damage to the rest of your pieces. That way, you’ll at least get some use out of it and still enjoy wearing your jewelry.
This is a list of 7 things you need to do when your jewelry breaks. If you fix it yourself, be sure to use the right tools and make sure that the piece of jewelry is in good enough condition not to cause any more damage before giving it back or taking it to a jeweler. If your jewels are exceptionally sentimental, then they’re probably worth investing in, so think carefully about what route you’re going to take. It will all depend on how much time and money you have available and how badly damaged the item is.
