When was the last time you got your oil changed? Do you think it’s important to service your furnace? When your dishwasher becomes too costly to repair, you replace it, right?
Believe it or not, jewelry is just like every other good that we use every day. Over time, wear and tear WILL take its toll on our jewelry pieces, especially the ones we wear each day. Proper jewelry wear and care is the most important factor to keeping your jewelry looking great AND securing valuable diamonds and gemstones. But no matter how well cared for a collection is, there will come a time when that most beloved piece of jewelry will need to be repaired. Read on to learn how to properly care for your jewelry, and how to recognize when it’s time to seek out repair.
Jewelry Care
1. Last thing on, First thing off!
Many people wear their rings ALL THE TIME. This is definitely not something we recommend. Gold is beautiful, but it’s also soft, even when alloyed to make it stronger as is the case in 14 karat and 18 karat gold. Constant friction against sheets in bed will yield worn prongs. Wearing jewelry while putting on make up or doing hair can result in residue build up on gemstones or caught under the setting. If worn while cleaning, jewelry may come in contact with harsh chemicals that damage gemstones or metals. Wearing jewelry while swimming in chlorinated pools can cause porosity (tiny holes that weaken gold). For all these reasons, and so many more, the BEST rule of thumb is that your jewelry should be the LAST thing you put on before you leave for the day. And then it should be the FIRST thing you take off when you get home.2. Have your pieces cleaned and checked every 6 months
Take your pieces to a professional jeweler at least every 6 months. At Toners, we provide complimentary inspections and cleaning services for all jewelry, not just jewelry purchased here. Our experienced sales associates will look at your pieces under a microscope, check all gemstones to ensure they are secure in their settings, and check to see if any repairs are needed to keep stones secure long term. If a stone is loose, our jeweler can usually tighten the gold while you wait, unless additional repair is needed.3. Proper cleaning at home
In between visits, you may have a special event come up, or maybe you just want that added sparkle! You can always bring your pieces to us. But if you choose to clean at home, make sure you’re using the proper cleaning agents. For regular cleaning, you can wipe down your jewelry with a clean polishing cloth and specially made gem and jewelry cleaner. In almost every other instance, ordinary degreasing dish soap is the safest, most effective way to clean your jewelry. Avoid harsh cleansers and don’t use hot water for anything except diamonds. Never use toothpaste, chlorine bleach or abrasive household cleaners to clean jewelry. Avoid abrasive sponges and brushes which damage many precious gems and metals. Many stones are also sensitive to acid, ammonia and hot water. And try to limit how much you expose your jewelry to heat and direct sunlight, since this can cause the color to fade from aquamarine, citrine, kunzite and many other precious stones.Jewelry Repair
Everyone wants their jewelry to look its best for as long as possible. No matter how well cared for a collection is, there will come a point when maintenance and repair will be required, just like with a car. Instead of ignoring a problem and allowing the situation to continue getting worse until the piece is unsalvageable, pay attention to the following signs that it's time to find for repair.1. The Stone Is Damaged or Lost
Diamond jewelry can wind up sustaining damage if its wearer drops their piece or scrapes it against a heavy, solid, or abrasive material. The most common form of damage is minor scratches, but chipped stones are also common regardless of the type of gem and its setting. A chipped or cracked accent diamond will often appear cloudy or dark. In some cases, the stone doesn't just get damaged, it gets lost entirely. When this happens, the prongs that hold the stone in place are often to blame. A skilled jeweler can replace damaged diamonds or gemstones, but may also recommend repair to the prongs or tips to prevent additional loss if there is additional wear throughout the setting.2. Stretched/Damaged Chains or Clasps
We’ve all heard the saying that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. This absolutely applies to jewelry! Over time chains may stretch through normal wear. The heat of our bodies warms the gold, and the gold then stretches and becomes weaker. We’ve seen chains stretch inches before breaking. But once the chain is thin and brittle, replacement becomes a better solution. Following our “Last On, First Off” rule will help extend the life of your chains!Necklaces and bracelets need clasps to hold them in place. When a clasp isn’t working properly, the risk of the piece falling off goes up significantly. The good news is that replacing a clasp is less expensive than replacing the whole piece! Some clasps are easier to use than others, so if you’re struggling to manipulate a clasp, this may be a good opportunity to find an easier-to-use clasp as well.
3. A Ring Needs Resizing
Over time our hands change, and it stands to reason that a ring that fits now won’t fit the same in 20 years. But that doesn’t mean you should let your rings go unworn. Whether the ring started at the right size and you changed, or maybe the ring never fit correctly at all, ring sizing is the most common jewelry repair. The first factor for sizing is FIT. A properly fitted ring should have some resistance over the knuckle. Without that resistance, it’s likely the ring will fall off when hands are wet or cold. A ring that’s too large will also roll around at the base of the finger. If you’re unaccustomed to wearing a ring, you may feel the ring is too tight over the knuckle, but we encourage you to focus on what’s secure. Once we agree on the correct size, the jeweler will simply cut the bottom of the ring open, and increase or decrease the diameter of the ring to fit the wearer's new finger size, then flow gold back through the ring to rejoin the shank. Finally he will check and tighten any diamonds or gemstones that may have opened when manipulating the band to the new size. A ring with stones should never be stretched to size up. This causes weakness in the setting and even stone loss.Rings that have been passed down and are “antique” or vintage often have very thin shanks (the bottom of the band). If there isn’t enough gold during the sizing process, the shank may crack once sized. So it may be necessary to replace a large portion of the shank. While this can be a costly repair, it will buy many more years of wear.
4. A Setting Needs to be Restored or Replaced
As mentioned earlier, tips and prongs on settings need maintenance to ensure they’re sturdy enough to secure precious diamonds and gemstones. Depending on the wearer, a daily wear ring may need retipping within 5-10 years of ownership. Usually by 15-20 years of wear, significant repairs may be needed to build up tips or completely replace a head (the main setting for the center stone).Antique and vintage engagement rings are the worst culprits when it comes to damage to settings. They may have both stones and prongs missing, and could require a complete overhaul to restore them to a truly wearable state. In some cases, it may be more cost effective to create a new ring that mimics the same design and reuses the gemstones from the original ring. Or if the inherited ring design isn’t to your taste, a new custom design might be the perfect solution. We have an experienced team who will help guide you through which options might be the best for you and your budget.
5. Tennis Bracelets
Next to rings, tennis bracelets require the most maintenance and repair. Because they’re worn on the wrist and come in contact with anything you touch, wear and tear can add up with a tennis bracelet. If you have a tennis bracelet that is broken in between links, repairing that link may only be the tip of the iceberg. If one link was weak enough to break, it’s likely that all the links are worn. If repair is needed on every link, it can be quite costly. For this reason, we highly recommend following proper wear and care instructions outlined. This will maximize a bracelet’s lifespan.Trust Toner Jewelers
When Kansas City residents want to have their jewelry repaired, they need to go to someone who will treat it with the utmost care and respect. Toner Jewelers has been one of the leading jewelry stores in Kansas City since 1980, and we offer full-service jewelry repairs. Our experienced sales team have seen jewelry in every state, and can assess repair needs and provide quotes while you wait. Our bench jeweler also has over 20 years of experience, and brings expert jewelry repair to a whole new level. All jewelry repair is performed on-site. Call (913) 663-3092 to learn more about our jewelry repair services today.