Master the tools and techniques for jewelry repairs. Our articles cover everything from resizing rings to repairing emerald jewelry with lasers.
How to open and close a #30 hand piece without using the chuck key.
These repair order forms highlight specific areas to indicate issues for jewelry or watch repair. The triple form allows for individual copies for record keeping and customers.
This article page is from a section “Favorite Tips” from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff covering favorite tips on removing and straightening kinks in chains, jewelry cleansing, chain repair and more. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To straighten kinks…
This article page is from a section “Favorite Tips” from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff covering inlay gold into platinum and chain repair, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ To inlay gold into platinum first cut a groove into the…
This article page is from a section “Favorite Tips” from BENCH Magazine 2002 submitted by readers and BENCH Magazine Staff covering bench pins and shims, ring holder, setting melee and more, ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I’ve used spring clothespins in many configurations for…
This soft back book is a practical guide intended for practising goldsmiths and is developed from a number of articles by the authors originally published in AJM magazine. It comprises articles and projects on making and repairing jewellery. Its aim is to show how one can save time and boost profits when making or repairing jewellery through good practice. It features over 200 colour photographs that illustrate the various steps and techniques..
This Charles and Colvard created moissanite (hereafter referred to as moissanite) and two-tone karat gold in-line bracelet requires shortening by two links. The bracelet is held together by a heavy link-wire that’s wrapped around an open portion of the adjacent link and permanently joined, giving the bracelet maximum flexibility. Below is a procedure for shortening, reassembling and permanent welding of the link using pulse-arc-welding technology..
With the popularity of tennis bracelets over the last 20 years replacing broken tongues has become a common repair in the jewelry shop. Typically these are replaced by soldering a new tongue in place. However, using a torch to solder a tongue onto a bracelet creates two problems.
Using CAD repair programs to save unprintable files You spend hours creating a custom piece in CAD for one of your favorite clients. The metal she loves, the colored stones she’s been wanting, a unique expression of her style. Now…
Repairing broken chains is one of the two most often preformed jobs in the shop. (Sizing rings is the other) The difficulty of chain repair lies in the fact that the chain is made up of fine wires. These wires…
As we prepare for the upcoming Christmas season, we will be totally inundated with requests to do some repairs or original fabrications. We will be asked to do some very quick “putting together” as the customer is waiting, many duties you can administer. If its ring polishing, sizing, re-tipping or just supplying new shanks, these are all up your alley.
An experienced bench jeweler will often be able to create almost any design that doesn’t actually violate the laws of physics. But colored stones are softer and typically less durable than diamonds, and a setting designed for a diamond may spell disaster with an opal or an emerald. The resulting creation may be beautiful when you first present it to the customer, but if the piece is worn frequently, it’s likely to make a quick return to the jeweler’s bench for repair. In this article expert gem setters share their tips and warnings for working with colored stones.
A 25 carat Tanzanian Garnet is faceted to replace a broken stone
Much of my business comes from re-cutting colored gems that have been chipped, scratched and broken (not always by the goldsmith). Replacing broken in lay material is another favorite. I know there will always be a need for cutting and…
A ring fits well when it is no longer felt on the finger. If in the course of time the size of the finger changes or if the ring is to be fitted for another wearer, a sizing of the ring is necessary. The first step is to determine the finger size, which is done with a ring sizer, a set of about 30 steel rings in graduated sizes.
High precision ring stretcher/reducer featuring a six spline mandrel and 12 polished countersunk dies. This high-quality ring stretcher ensures exceptionally accurate ring sizing. Its countersunk polished steel reducing plate will reduce bands up to 12mm wide.
What does it take to be successful at repairing, customizing, and servicing platinum jewelry? First, an understanding of properties unique to platinum. When platinum is mined, it is usually found with one or more of its five sister metals, called the platinum group metals: palladium, osmium, rhodium, ruthenium, and iridium.
This article “Filigree Remake” provides step by step instructions on resizing a pre-existing ring mounting to make way for a larger round diamond. This is a picture showing the top and side view of a customer’s mounting which has a…
Before sizing any ring, examine it carefully and compare it to the information on the job envelope. If you see any damage or potential problems that are not marked clearly on the envelope, inform the store manager or sales clerk who took in the job so that they can notify the customer. It is extremely important that you inform them now, before any work is performed, rather than wait until later to inform them.
HOW TO MAKE A FRUITS SET
This new Gellar’s blue book set concentrates on jewelry repairs. How to set your price for repair prices and stay profitable with the sensitive customer. One-package set.
These are high-quality Hastings Triplet Loupes. Hastings lenses are constructed from three lens elements cemented together to form a single lens. The unmatched clarity of these triplet loupes is further enhanced by black outer lens edges which eliminate color distortion….
Stylised Harpsichord keyboard Pendant is inlaid with black Onyx and Mother of Pearl keys
This ring has become so hard to get on and off, but when it is on, it is loose and spins around my finger. My knuckles have gotten so big – another of your middle-aged customers with the same complaint…The fact is that as we age, our hands and fingers change shape, as do other parts of our anatomy. Whether due to injury, arthritis or just getting older, knuckles usually become larger which makes rings more difficult to get on and off. Suppliers offer several different mechanisms designed specifically for this type of situation…
Installing or repairing hinge rivets can be difficult with a torch. Flooding a hinge with solder and permanently joining a link to adjacent links are among the risks when using a torch and solder. Use of the following pulse-arc welding techniques to weld the hinge rivets will eliminate potential problems and speed up the overall procedure..
Arthritis is a common malady which affects many people as they age. People with arthritis often have enlarged knuckles which make it difficult to wear rings. A ring that barely squeezes over an arthritic knuckle may be so loose on the finger that it slips around and around. The simplest solution is often to add two beads of metal on the inside of the ring. This basic approach works by effectively tightening the ring when it is on the finger. Yet the space between the beads permits the ring to be turned as it is slipped over the knuckle. Another situation justifying the addition of sizing beads is when a top-heavy ring spins.
The majority of the invisible set styles that are available are the type where the diamonds are pressed in. To do repairs of any kind I believe you should understand how these stones are set and how to set them.
Repair pricing strategies used by the three jewelers.
Repairing jewellery is an extremely tricky job. Work often pretends to be something else, metal is not what it is labelled, or sold as and the customer’s memory fades with time, so that jewellery is often given to the repair person as something different thas it’s real condition or materials. What follows is a list of questions…
This article covers routine repair and assembly projects accomplished using Mini Pulse Arc III. Tack-, fusion- and pulse-arc equipment settings will differ and are based upon the volume, amount of contact and alloy of the material you are working with. Practicing using like materials will give you a parameter for the settings required for your application. Keep a record of settings and tasks for future reference.
Rio Grande carries the Orion Jewelry Welder – an affordable laser welding alternative for all jewelers. These welders provide three different weld modes which provide users with complete control. Users can fix porosity in seconds, re-tip a prong with the…
Rio Grande carries the Orion Jewelry Welder – an affordable laser welding alternative for all jewelers. These welders provide three different weld modes which provide users with complete control. Users can fix porosity in seconds, re-tip a prong with the…
Rio Grande carries the Orion Jewelry Welder – an affordable laser welding alternative for all jewelers. These welders provide three different weld modes which provide users with complete control. Users can fix porosity in seconds, re-tip a prong with the…
Rio Grande carries the Orion Jewelry Welder – an affordable laser welding alternative for all jewelers. These welders provide three different weld modes which provide users with complete control. Users can fix porosity in seconds, re-tip a prong with the…
Rio Grande carries the Orion Jewelry Welder – an affordable laser welding alternative for all jewelers. These welders provide three different weld modes which provide users with complete control. Users can fix porosity in seconds, re-tip a prong with the…
Cutting, fitting and polishing a replacement Lapis Lazuli inlay for a ring repair job
It’s an “everyday” kind of repair job. The customer brings in a bangle bracelet that has a broken safety slide. This time let’s try a different approach to repairing it. After a close inspection of the bracelet we have determined…
It seems like a lot of laser repairs involve emeralds. I recall the Indiana Jones movies where “Indy” comes face to face with a snake (or snakes). “Snakes, I HATE SNAKES!” Have you ever been overheard saying, “Emeralds, I hate…
This article by Steve Satow describes the procedure for repairing an emerald and diamond bracelet using laser technology. Top view picture of damaged antique two toned emerald and diamond bracelet. Repairing an emerald and diamond bracelet using laser technology Close up bottom…
The one tool that allows each of these jewelers to do their jobs better is a laser welder, a technological advancement that is becoming increasingly common in trade shops and manufacturing facilities. By using a sharply focused beam of light to produce very high heat in a small area, lasers are allowing jewelers to routinely accomplish tasks that would once have been either impossible or too time consuming to be worthwhile.
This article will run over multiple issues of Bench Magazine. I plan to start with the basics of welding and write about the characteristics of the beam and how we use those characteristics to weld. It is important to understand…
In my last article I wrote about the various adjustable parameters, and the effects of changing those parameters. In this article I hope to explain, in better detail, how laser beam energy is focused. I will likely be referring to…
Back when I was going to school, if I had known I would be writing an article about laser welding geometry I would have paid more attention in all my math classes, not to mention my English composition classes. We…
In previous articles we have looked into the “art” of prong repair using the laser (Full Prong Replacement and Tipping Prongs. This is the final article in the series on laser welding prongs but is by no means the last…
One of the most frequent repair jobs involving the laser is prong repair. This is the first in a series of articles on laser welding prongs. Much has been said about the ability of the laser to do the “impossible”…
Short video showing examples of what can be achieved, repairing jewellery items with a manual laser welder – the StarWeld Performance from Rofin.
Laser welders, it seems, have as many applications as there are imaginations and types of jewelry. This laser welding project replaces the pin stem and clutch on a “Plique ajour,” opal, and ruby owl brooch. Just a bit of information…
This article provides a step by step procedure on how to do laser welding prong repairs on a ring. Laser Welding Prong Repairs Project Use a separating disk to grind the prong flat. Place a redi-prong on a metal surface and tap…
Sometimes you get a job like this one. Your customer has a platinum and 18k yellow gold wedding band that doesn’t fit anymore. In this case (unlike most of us who have been married a while) the customer needs to…
Last issue we installed a new full prong on an opal and emerald pendant. This issue was supposed to be a continuation of the same project, i.e. retipping an emerald on the same piece. However, as the saying goes “the…
Last time a customer brought a San Marco bracelet to you for repair, what did you do with it? Commonly know as the “macaroni” bracelet, this repair can be a challenge for many repair jewelers. Many jewelry repair technicians simply…
High-grade superfine boric acid powder. Use as high-grade flux and deoxidizing agent. Can also be mixed with denatured alcohol to make soldering flux.
Making silver wire
This necklace contains Charles ‘ Colvard created moissanite. It has been mistakenly pulled and a few links have broken. Repairing the links using pulse-arc-welding technology removes the potential to freeze links, reduces the build-up of oxidation and decreases time required for clean-up as opposed to using a torch for the repair.
OptiVISOR lenses are ground and polished to precise ophthalmic standards. The OptiVISOR frame is made of lightweight durable impact-resistant materials. The comfortable continuous headband is fully adjustable to fit any size quickly and easily. Adjustable pivot knobs hold visor in…
The most versatile and complete welding solution for the master jeweler. Designed with jewelers in mind the Orion Pulse 150i has all the critical features necessary to design create and repair jewelry watches eyeglasses and more. The most advanced micro…
From the Editor: It’s happened to everyone. You’re working on a project and everything is going along well until…. Oops. You melt something that wasn’t supposed to be melted, or chip something that’s hard to replace. After a few seconds…
14-karat yellow gold cultured freshwater pearl and diamond earrings will be repaired as a demonstration of the new Mini Pulse III. The connecting post and dangle jump rings were not soldered when originally made. One of the dangles has become unattached to the post.
Sizing and torch welding a platinum ring with diamonds channel set down the shank could be risky to the diamonds. Use of a Pulse-arc Welder for this welding job will eliminate the risk and potential damage.
This is a beautiful old 14k yellow gold pocket watch. The outside view of the hinge shows bowing at the ends and small tears. Step by Step Pocket Watch Hinge Repair This picture shows considerable discoloration from rust and a hinge…
Making your own custom finishing sticks Due to space restrictions, I don’t own a full-size polishing machine. Because I work largely in alternative materials, most of the time I can get by using my flex-shaft to polish the metal sections…
A few years ago, Jewelers Circular Magazine reported that over 75% of all retail jewelers in America lose money on their jewelers.Making a living dealing with labor intensive dollars can be a real headache. It also can be enjoyable and profitable, if it’s done right. Today, you’ll get some very valuable tips on doing it right!.
Repair jewelers are frequently called upon to solder close in to a set gemstone. Besides the normal dangers of heating a gem in these days of glass infills and other challenges it behooves a jeweler to keep a gemstone cool during soldering if at all possible. Remember Some ‘Old-time’ repair goldsmiths pride themselves on their speed using a mini-torch and they hold the set gem on a ring being sized in their fingers, going in very rapidly on the shank solder join with a pinpoint flame, so fast and hot that ‘if your fingers get hot you were too slow’. While this method works with the right mini-torch and has a certain macho charm it does not fit every circumstance – and may lead to singed fingers..
This 14-karat yellow gold heavy bracelet chain has a broken tongue at its critical springy location. An ideal method for its repair is a non-torch pulse-arc welding approach so the alloy in the mechanism is not annealed or softened in the process. For this repair, the ABI Tack II and Pulse-Arc welders provide the ideal solution.
This 14-karat yellow gold, emerald and diamond ring has a broken prong requiring prong replacement. Steece Hermanson will replace the prong and reset the displaced emerald without un-mounting any of the gemstones. For this, he uses the ABI Tack II and Pulse-Arc Welders.
Platinum is a very durable metal, so prongs will last a long time. However, it is sometimes necessary to re-tip prongs even on a Platinum ring. By definition, re-tipping platinum prongs imply that the stone remains in the setting during…
These fashion drop earrings contain oval diamonds weighing 1.78 carats. The customer is concerned about loss because of the open design of the ear wires. She would also like the earrings to freely dangle and move when worn. To accommodate this request.
At the counter, you remove the tape with a sharp blade and then slide the ring up a man-drel. Next, you measure Mrs. Moder’s finger with a set of ring sizers. Comparing her finger, size 5 1 / 2, to the ring, size 6, confirms that the ring should be brought down one half-size. Examine the ring closely. It is marked 14k and you have no reason to.
Your customer brings in a silver colored ring marked 925 with a broken shank for repair. You measure the customer finger as size 6.5 and assure her that the ring will look ‘greatly improved’ when she returns to pick it up in a few days. Back in the shop you begin with a pair of half-round pliers to.
Repairs and alterations of jewelry that has been in families for generations is an ongoing request at retail service departments. These pieces are not of high value, but they have sentimental value to the owner. Often these pieces were not made properly, excessively worn or broken. To keep your customers happy, repairs to these pieces are inevitable and this article covers procedures for simplifying the process, minimizing risk and maximizing profit margins for the service department.
This project shows a challenging repair and reconstruction of earrings with a broken Omega clip and heat sensitive gemstones.
The difficulty of chain repair lies in the fact that the chain is made up of fine wires. These wires heat up quickly when trying to melt the solder. Two problems develop. The first is if the wire link gets too hot, it will quickly melt as you are trying to solder.
This page provides some helpful tips when it comes to resizing damaged rings with stones. Read on for more. When sizing rings with stones that may be damaged from heat, hold the stones under water while soldering. To do this, place a…
This 14 karat white and yellow gold two tone bracelet has hollow wire
links. The link near the clasp which receives most of the wear on the
bracelet is broken and several of the other links are cracked or
smashed and need to be refurbished. To repair the broken link, begin
by using the point of a fine watchmakers tweezers to spread the link
open to regain the original round shape of the link. Then make sure
that the link fits back together tightly. Select a piece of 14 karat
yellow gold wire that will fit snugly inside the link.
Ask a seasoned bench jeweler how many rings he or she has sized and they’ll probably give you a figure in the quadruple digits. The following is a compilation of tips and tricks to help you perform this mundane task better and faster.
Scott Kay Inc. has a tool that will successfully remove any SK Cobalt(TM) / BioBlu 27(TM) band from a consumer’s finger in under 4 minutes, if such a need arises.
Every penny mattered-and that was in the 1980s when gold was $300 an ounce. These days, when $1,100 is the new norm. Never before has the notion of careful gold consumption been more important to me and my business. I made it a point to become more aware of what was being used in the shop, and I found many ways to be less wasteful and save money in common repair operations, such as the two described here.
Did you ever wonder what it takes to size a ring? Well, here is your answer. I take a ring sizing and walk you through every step! This is a long video as it covers a lot of information. As…
www.BenchJewelersNetwork.com How To Size a Silver Ring with the PUK Welder. For more videos, and articles on jewelry repair and other bench techniques visit our website.
Sizing silver rings with heat sensitive stones can be difficult. This video demonstrates a tip to make it easier. For more articles on jewelry repair go to: http://ExpertJewelryRepair.com or http://BenchJewelersNetwork.com
It is not uncommon for moving parts to wear out. This is to be expected because of increased friction as parts rub against one another. A common example can be found in connecting rings such as the jump rings that attach a charm to a bracelet or a pendant to a chain. If a section of the ring is worn thin it is usually best to discard.
The Platinum Expret – Part 4: This video is designed to bring you practical tips and information on platinum repairs techniques to help you in becoming the platinum expert. It shows a variety of platinum repairs procedures which might help…
Getting a superior fit on your next custom ring order could be just a few mouse clicks away. Superfit Inc., the King of Prussia, Pennsylvania-based manufacturer known for its tailor-fit shanks, recently launched Digital Installations, a program that enables jewelers and custom designers to download a design template online that allows the trademarked Superfit technology to be incorporated into any rings unique construction-regardless of dimensions or contours.
Ask most jewelers about repairing a chain or finding and they’re likely to offer you their best Charlie Brown impression: Good grief! And it’s an expression that’s somewhat warranted, given the risks involved in working on the tiny links of a…
When taking in a piece of pearl jewelry for repair, it may be necessary to remove the pearl to avoid damaging it. Since most pearls are held in place with glue, you can remove them by gently warming the jewelry piece. You want the part near the pearl to get warm and soften the glue. Most glues will soften with heat, allowing you to pull the pearl off the peg easily.
A look at a few jewelers who refuse to use tools the way they were designed Jewelers love their tools…but they’re rarely content with using them without alteration or even for the original intended purpose. They file and grind and…
In the Spring 2003 Issue we asked the question “What causes these marks on this casting?” Around 100 readers responded to the question. Everyone that responded said the same thing; Water Marks. Investment needs to be finished and set aside…
Chain repair is a set of fundamental skills and techniques every goldsmith needs to master, but the structure and design of the chain dictate what you need to do for a successful repair.
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