Broken Jewelry: What to Do With It and Can It Be Repaired?

Jewelry has become an essential part of our everyday lives. Wearing jewelry empowers us and helps us express our unique personal sense of style. The average woman may have as much as $7,000 worth of jewelry.

With all of that jewelry, though, there’s bound to be some broken jewelry pieces tucked away in a drawer somewhere. Maybe they have sentimental value or you’re not sure if it is even something that can be repaired. But this guide can help you.

If you want to know more about jewelry repair options for your broken jewelry, then keep reading below for further information.

Broken Watch Repairs

Watches can be as fashionable as they are functional. Brands like Rolex, Cartier, and Montblanc are top-selling luxury brand watches. Rolex alone commands 29% of the market for luxury watches. 

But what do you do when a favorite watch no longer works the way it once did? It could be as simple as just replacing a dead battery. Or it could be something more serious.

Either way, a jewelry repair service will be able to determine the best course of action. They know what makes your watch tick. If it is a dead battery, they will be able to replace it with the proper battery for your make and model of watch design. 

However, it could also be a more serious issue, such as resealing the watch and pressure testing it for water-resistant watches. Cracked glass will also need to be replaced. Mechanical readjustment and servicing of the parts inside of the watch may be necessary if it is no longer keeping the proper time.

Broken jewelry also includes watches that need to have new bands or straps replaced. Your watch may be missing links or have damage to a clasp. Or you could just need to have your band resized for a better fit. 

Keeping your watches looking their best also requires proper restoration along with routine maintenance with ultrasonic cleaning and polishing. Your Rolex watches will be pristine and running like new again.

Broken Clasp Repairs

Broken clasps on jewelry pieces such as bracelets and necklaces can ruin your favorite items. Once a clasp breaks, that piece is most likely thrown into a bag at the bottom of a drawer with all of the other broken jewelry pieces. But broken clasps can be easily repaired on most pieces of fine jewelry.

You may have tried to do it yourself to save time and money, only to get frustrated when it didn’t hold in place again. But a professional jewelry repair store has the right equipment and the knowledge needed to get your broken jewelry in working order again.

They can figure out how to reattach the broken part and make it so it is secure. You’ll be able to wear your favorite pieces with confidence knowing that they were repaired by a skilled jeweler. 

Broken Chains

Along with broken clasps, broken chains can also be a major pain when dealing with broken jewelry. These parts can be harder to fix since they can happen with delicate and detailed chains.

Trying to fix these repairs on your own can result in further damage to fragile chain links. But a professional jewelry repair service can expertly manage these repairs with ease. 

You don’t have to throw away your broken chains or toss them into a drawer. Jewelry repair is an easy and dependable fix when done correctly by a jewelry repair store near you. 

Enamel Repair

Enameling can bring a beautiful sheen to jewelry pieces. But over time, this enamel coating can wear off and lead to damaged and broken jewelry.

The protective coating of the enamel can chip or flake off and make the once smooth portion feel rough. Your jewelry also won’t have the same luster.

A professional jewelry repair service can restore the smooth and protective coating of enamel to your jewelry. They know the techniques required to harden and create an even enameled surface.

Earring Back and Post Repair

Large earrings create heaviness which can pull on and warp the posts and backings. Earrings won’t fit as well and can sag in your earlobes. They also aren’t as secure and can fall off, causing you to lose one or both earrings in the process. 

If you’ve lost your earring backings and need some high-quality replacements, a jewelry repair shop can help replace these for you with sturdy alternatives. They can also reinforce bent posts or fix damaged ear wires. 

Resizing Rings

The average ring size is a 7 for women, while men wear a size 10. Rings often need to be resized either larger or smaller over the course of their lifetime.

Pregnancy and weight gain can cause the fingers to swell, meaning rings will be too tight to wear comfortably anymore. On the other hand, weight loss can cause rings to be too loose where they will turn around on the finger, catch on things, or fall off.

You also could have inherited a piece of jewelry like an heirloom ring from a relative that doesn’t fit you. Instead of keeping it hidden away in your jewelry chest, you can have it resized. Or a broken ring band may require resoldering.

Ring resizing is one of the most common forms of jewelry repair. Metal material is added or subtracted from the band to create a better fit. Broken jewelry can also be repaired with this method to make your rings like new again.

Some ring bands with thin metal or decorative stones all the way around may be harder to properly resize. A professional jeweler will be able to determine if your ring is appropriate for resizing.

Loose or Missing Stones

You may have a favorite piece of jewelry but haven’t worn it recently due to missing stones. You probably put it off to the fear of high stone replacement costs. You may also have thought that it wasn’t possible to get replacement stones either, but that’s not true.

A professional jewelry repair shop can easily help you replace the missing stones in your broken jewelry. They can match the size, type, and color of your stone so that your jewelry looks whole again. It can be done for less than you think too. 

If your broken jewelry has any loose stones due to broken prongs or warped settings, a jewelry repair service can fix these issues. They will be able to reinforce the prongs and settings to make your stones more secure. Your broken jewelry will be ready to wear again.

Antique Jewelry Repair

Antique jewelry is beautiful in its own way. Even more beautiful is the story behind the previous wearer. But with the passage of time comes more wear and tear.

You may think the best way to preserve your antique jewelry is to keep it safely locked away. But your relatives would want you to wear these pieces and remember them fondly. Whether it’s broken jewelry or just well-worn, antique jewelry repair is possible.

A professional jewelry repair service can make it like new again. They can repair cosmetic scratches and dents. They can also buff and polish away tarnished or smudged areas. 

Antique jewelry can also be re-plated to restore portions of worn-away metal coloring. Chipped or cracked stones can be removed and replaced with new ones. Worn areas of enamel can also be reapplied evenly for a beautiful new look for beat-up or broken jewelry.

Broken Jewelry Art

Worst case scenario, if your broken jewelry is unrepairable, why not turn it into art? Broken jewelry art is a fairly new trend of repurposing your broken jewelry into art pieces.

You can turn broken jewelry into mounted canvas pieces. You can also use broken jewelry to create decorative wreaths. This works well for vintage costume jewelry that isn’t high quality enough to warrant fine jewelry repairs. 

If you do have some functional pieces left on your broken jewelry like the stones, you can repurpose parts of it into other pieces of jewelry as well.

Jewelry Cleaning

The only thing worse than broken jewelry is dingy, discolored, and dirty-looking jewelry. Dirt and oils from your skin can accumulate on the surface of your jewelry pieces the longer you wear them. This can make your jewelry not look its best. 

To keep your jewelry looking shiny and shimmering for much longer, routine cleaning is recommended. You can clean your jewelry yourself at home, but if you’re not sure how to manage more delicate pieces, these are best entrusted to a professional jewelry repair service. 

Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing can restore your jewelry to its original splendor. Dirt, dust, and debris can be delicately and expertly cleaned off, leaving your jewelry sparkling. 

Get Your Broken Jewelry Expertly Repaired at Daniel & Co. Fine Jewelry and Watches Today

Broken jewelry can become new again when it’s in the right hands. But you don’t want to trust your jewelry repair to just anyone. That’s where Daniel & Co. Fine Jewelry can help you.  

Daniel & Co. Jewelers is your source for fine jewelry, luxury watches, and custom jewelry design. We’re also a jewelry repair service with experience in antique jewelry repair, watch repair, wedding ring and engagement ring resizing, gemstone replacement, and more. We have 4 locations across Texas to serve you in Houston, Conroe, and Humble. 

Contact us for more information or to schedule a custom jewelry consultation today.