Jewelry repair and maintenance helps preserve the value of your jewelry and protect it from daily wear and tear. Metals, gems, and stones all require specific treatments and can potentially sustain different types of damage. Below are a few little-known facts about maintenance and repair.

What to Know About Jewelry Repair

Even High-Quality Jewelry Needs Maintenance

While quality jewelry can be pretty durable, it isn’t indestructible. Gold rings, for example, can sometimes get bent out shape or scratched up due to everyday wear. Even a small impact in the wrong place can bump prongs out of place or loosen your stone, leading to the need for jewelry repair. It’s recommended to have your jewelry inspected every 6 to 12 months. Your jeweler can see if anything is out of place and fix it before a stone falls out or a bracelet slips off. 

Sizing Up Jewelry Will Not Thin It Out

You may need to resize rings over the years. You might think that jewelers size rings up by stretching and thinning out the band. However, jewelers usually cut the ring and open up a space just large enough to attain the new ring size. They insert a new piece of metal and then match it to your ring’s shape and coloring. They will then weld it back together or solder it and smooth it down so that the addition is undetectable.

Not All Gems Can Take the Heat

While diamonds can typically undergo exposure to higher temperatures, many other gemstones cannot. Many jewelers use a torch for jewelry repair, but some pieces require a laser welder that only applies heat to the exact point that needs welding. Using a laser welder ensures that the gem will not overheat, which means your gemstones stay safe. Alternatively, some jewelers can simply remove the gemstones before performing the work and then set them again once the repair is complete. 

At-Home Cleaning Will Not Always Suffice

At-home cleaning remedies may sound tempting. However, a jeweler can look at your piece and know what kind of cleaning it needs. Dirt can get stuck in the prongs and diminish the original shine, especially for engagement rings, wedding bands, and other pieces you wear through gardening, dishwashing, cooking, and cleaning. Get your jewelry professionally cleaned every six months while you’re getting it inspected to maintain condition and keep your stones and metals looking their best.

Clean and fix your precious pieces of jewelry with Nelson Estate Jewelers in Mesa, AZ. With a focus on offering top-quality, one-of-a-kind designs, this trusted jeweler offers everything from watches and earrings to custom designs and on-site jewelry repairs. Nelson Estate Jewelers will also take your unused or unwanted jewelry pieces in trade or purchase them outright at the fairest possible prices. Check out some of their inventory online or give their office a call at (480) 459-9867 with questions. Read dozens of five-star customer reviews on Google.