Most of us have a very close connection to our jewellery, and we want to make sure we can both wear it as much as possible and ensure it lasts as long as possible.
However, both of these desires are frustratingly opposed to each other; you often want to wear a beautiful, expensive or sentimental piece but fear the feeling of abject dread that happens when it gets scuffed, scratched or damaged.
This can often happen with heirloom jewellery, as the passing of generations often brings with it blemishes and weaknesses that can cause stones to come loose or ring loops to be the wrong size to practically use.
However, all is not lost, as our extensive expert jewellery restoration service can adjust a beautiful, priceless heirloom to give it new life.
Restoration can vary wildly from minor resizing, resetting and polishing to extensive redesigns that reuse the stones, metals and loose design to create something that suits you more perfectly.
To provide some inspiration, here are some of the most common types of jewellery restoration, and what we can do for you.
Repairing/Replacing Necklace Chains
Because necklaces are often made from hundreds of extremely tiny links chained together, they are often the first part of your necklace to break.
Wear and tear, a sudden yank, or a worn-out clasp can break, and because of this, the chain is often the first bit to go.
Thankfully, because chains tend to be relatively uniform, they can either be easily soldered together or replaced. More elaborate, complex and unique chains can require more elaborate fixes, but they are very possible in the hands of an expert.
Resetting/Replacing Stones
The most common reason why people come to us for a restoration is because of a missing stone. After all, it is the most noticeable piece of damage, and it can be quite a worrying situation when a stone feels loose or even falls off the ring entirely.
It is remarkably common, however; gemstones are set by using tiny claws, and much like the chain links on a necklace, they can get looser and weaker over time. The rigours and knocks of daily life will eventually make even the most well-set stone loosen.
Thankfully, this is also a relatively routine and simple restoration we can do. Exactly what we need to do will depend on the ring and the nature of the stone itself, but it can be as simple as retightening the claws to provide a better fit.
Alternatively, we can fix any broken claws, remove the claws entirely and reset the stone from scratch, or even replace the stone if it has disappeared.
We can even replace the stone with one of a different size and shape, depending on the original setting, but some adjustments may be more substantial than others. We will work with you throughout the process to ensure it perfectly meets your needs, regardless of complexity.
Resizing/Reshaping Rings
A particularly common restoration with heirlooms, ring fingers change size over time, and a ring gifted or inherited may not necessarily be designed for your finger size. As well as this, a knock to the ring can flatten or squash it slightly, making it feel uncomfortable on your finger.
Resizing is one of the most common fixes we do, and it is as simple as removing or adding the precise amount of metal necessary, soldering it back together into a perfect circle, removing any work marks and polishing it to perfection.
Restoring Engravings
Particularly important for signet rings, over time, the engravings on a ring can be worn away from use, which can cause important text and markings to fade away or be less useful.
There are two approaches we can take to restoring the engraving; we can use advanced technology to replicate precise text, or we can use the precise eyes and hands of an expert jeweller to restore it to its former glory, matching the style precisely before polishing your piece thoroughly.
Style Swapping
Also known as upcycling or repurposing, style swapping involves taking the pieces of an older piece of jewellery and using them to make something new. This could include reshaping earrings into cufflinks or finger rings, taking a brooch and turning it into a necklace or using the jewels of a broken ring and turning them into stud earrings.
Exactly what we can do will depend on your particular needs, the original pieces of jewellery and how much you want to retain the original style, but we can help work with you to create the piece of your dreams.