Jewelry Repairs

How to Prevent the Necessity of Jewelry Repairs

Unfortunately, jewelry repairs aren't avoidable 100% of the time. But there are steps you can take to prevent or reduce the likelihood of damage to your jewelry, ensuring that it remains intact and beautiful for generations.
Preventing the Need for Jewelry Repairs
Sometimes you don't realize that your jewelry needs fixing until it's too late. Imagine the heartbreak of losing an heirloom bracelet or necklace due to a weak clasp or losing a stone from an engagement ring because of a weak prong. These are losses which can be easily prevented with proper care and periodic inspections performed by a professional jeweler. Here are a few tips on how you can protect your precious pieces of jewelry, and effectively prevent loss or damage as well as the need for extensive jewelry repairs.
Cleaning
You might think that cleaning your jewelry is just a matter of aesthetics. But the truth is that the natural oils from our skin, along with other common environmental factors (just imagine how silver tarnishes in salt air) can do some serious damage to jewelry. Discoloration is only a symptom. The real problem is when these factors begin to weaken the metal, which can result in lost or broken jewelry. Regular cleaning by recommended methods (as they pertain to the particular piece) is an effective way to prevent this scenario. The additional benefit to being committed to a regular cleaning regimen for your precious jewelry is that this gives you an opportunity to do a sort of self-inspection. This simply entails taking an extra moment to make sure that no stones are loose; no clasps are stuck, etc. If you notice something is amiss, take it in for jewelry repairs before wearing it again.
Occasional Professional Inspection
Even with regular cleaning and self-inspection, it's still a good idea to bring your valuable and sentimental pieces into a professional jeweler for occasional inspection. A professional inspection can reveal any weaknesses or more subtle damage that may not be seen with the naked eye. Should any jewelry repairs appear to be necessary, they can often be done right there in a relatively short time.
Jewelry is typically more to the person wearing it than just a bit of bling. It often carries with it a certain sentimental value, as well, and that's why it can be so heart breaking to lose a special piece - especially if the loss was preventable. Regular cleaning and self-inspection can prevent the need for many jewelry repairs, but periodic professional inspections are a good idea, as well. Compared to the alternative of losing a priceless piece of jewelry, these steps seem like a small effort in a big picture.

Posted in Jewelry