we offer the following five tips for jewelry repair and five additional suggestions for jewelry restoration:
The Comfort Issue: Like we mentioned above, knowing your jeweler is respected, dependable and experienced goes a long way when it comes to dropping off your jewelry and valued timepieces for repair. By doing your homework and depending on recommendations from those you trust — like family and friends — you can have confidence in the selection of your jewelry craftsperson.
But Ask to See Certification: That being said, there is absolutely nothing wrong with asking a new jeweler to prove his or her expertise, and at Shmukler Design, we will gladly show you our degrees, certifications and memberships. These designations go a long way in demonstrating we have the knowledge and experience to care for your jewelry.
Bring the Original Paperwork: Before heading off to the jewelry store for a repair, find the original sales receipt for the piece in order to present if there are insurance issues following the work. If you cannot locate the original paperwork, look online (eBay is great for pieces that fall into the restoration category) to see what your item is currently fetching on the open market.
Get a Quote — in Writing: A respected jeweler will not let you leave the shop without a receipt showing that you dropped off an item, as well as an estimate of the cost of repairs. Again, don’t be shy about asking for such a receipt. You wouldn’t drop off your car at an auto mechanic without getting a written estimate. Why do so with your valuable jewelry?
Carefully Inspect the Work: You might not be an expert at jewelry repair, but there are things you can observe when viewing the finished work. Do you see evidence of cutting or soldering? Can you move the stones around in their settings? Are there tool marks visible on the piece? If anything looks off to you, your jeweler needs to hear about it. Again, before you leave the building.
For the restoration of jewelry, we offer these five suggestions:
Restoration is Almost Always an Option: No matter how bad a piece of jewelry might appear, advances in restoration in recent years have been formidable. For instance, victims of Southern California’s frequent wildfires have brought their melted jewelry to experts who have been able to restore them to their original splendor. If a piece looks beyond repair, bring it in and let your jeweler be the judge.
Keeping it Local: You should have the confidence in knowing that when you drop off your valuable pieces for restoration work, the work will take place onsite, and not shipped off to some repair shop in Houston, or an offshore business in a country you’ve never heard of.
Don’t Discard Inheritance Jewelry: Sure, it often looks shabby, out of style and cheap, but jewelry handed down from a loved one can have more than just sentimental value. Often a restoration can bring new life — and value — to that ring, necklace or bracelet, making it the perfect gift for others in your family and those who were close to the original owner. Or, create a new story — talk with your jeweler about taking an essential component from the piece you inherited and using it for an entirely new piece of custom jewelry.
Ready for your Close Up: Before taking your well-used or outdated jewelry to be restored, take photographs of the pieces beforehand, and then take additional photos after the restoration is completed. While a comparison of photos should provide satisfaction to the owner, the images might come in handy should you decide to sell the pieces or insure them.
What’s it Worth? Again, for insurance purposes — and perhaps for your own piece of mind — it might prove worthwhile to take the restored jewelry to another jeweler to seek an unbiased appraisal of the piece. Here at Shmukler Design, we encourage such homework. Primarily because we look forward to another professional admiring our work.