Vintage Jewelry: Repair It Yourself or Leave It to The Experts?

by | Aug 9, 2021 | Uncategorized

You have a piece of vintage costume jewelry that you love, but it’s in terrible shape and not wearable. Fortunately, jewelry repair is a viable solution. Many people in Charleston SC seek the help of professional jewelers to repair their jewelry pieces, but is that really necessary for vintage jewelry that is not made from precious materials? Fortunately, there is a more cost-effective way to address the problem. Do it yourself! Many jewelry repairs are quite doable, even by an amateur.

Some jewelry repair in Charleston SC can be conducted easily and painlessly by you with very little work. For example, a rhinestone that has become dislodged can be easily affixed with a little cement or glue. Insert a small dot of glue into the rhinestone cavity, and apply the rhinestone back to the piece using tweezers. Another simple repair that any amateur can do involves enamel. Many vintage jewelry pieces contain enamel pieces in which the design has worn off or the enamel has chipped. Craft stores sell enamel paint pens in almost every color which can be used to perform touch ups as long as you have a steady hand and a good eye for detail.

An important thing to keep in mind when restoring any piece of jewelry (or anything else vintage or antique, for that matter) is that, as with anything, if the jewelry repair is not conducted well, you could end up damaging your piece further or deteriorating the value. Before you decide to conduct jewelry repair yourself, it is important to assess the damage of the piece and assess your own skill level to be certain that the repair is within your capability. If you feel that it is not, you should seek the help of a professional jeweler who can perform your jewelry repair without destroying your piece. For example, if your piece needs soldering and you do not solder well, give it to an expert to fix instead of risking ruining the piece.

If you do decide to choose a professional for jewelry repair in Charleston SC, be sure to find one who will work with old vintage findings and materials. Part of the beauty of vintage jewelry is the lovely aged patina that the old metal and rhinestones and enamel acquire over the years. There is nothing that can detract from the beauty of a piece of vintage jewelry like an obvious repair job using contemporary materials. If you cannot find a jeweler who works exclusively with vintage components when conducting repairs on vintage jewelry, ask to see examples of past work. If your jeweler works with contemporary materials, it may be worth using his jewelry repair services if he is adept at duplicating patina or incorporating new materials into old pieces seamlessly.

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