As durable as your high-quality jewelry might be, over the course of time, one of your pieces is somewhat likely to break. Indra Jhaveri is the owner of AMI Diamond & Jewelry, a Phoenix store that offers jewelry repair as part of its many services, and he thinks that while jewelry repair is a necessary component of owning jewelry, it can also be a tricky subject. After all, not every jeweler is as honest and qualified as the next, and some people (though not any of Jhaveri’s customers) have had notably bad experiences with jewelry repair. If you have a piece of jewelry that needs to be fixed, then before you leave one of your prized possessions in the hands of a jeweler, review the following tips:
Try to find a jeweler who will repair your jewelry in front of you
The biggest concern among people in need of jewelry repair is the notion that their belongings will not be returned. One way to alleviate this fear is to watch your jeweler in the act; this way, you’ll be able to make sure that the piece you drop off is the same exact piece you’ll get back. While a jeweler will often be willing to make repairs in front of you, some jobs require more time than others, and a jeweler cannot always drop what he’s doing to tend to the repair work at hand. If this is the case, then ask the jeweler if he’ll be willing to perform a thorough “before and after” inspection of your jewelry piece in front of you. This should give you some additional confidence that the stone you drop off will be the same one that gets returned to you after the repairs are done.
Make sure that all repairs will be done in the store
Some jewelers have a practice of actually sending items out for repair and then taking a cut of the profit. The more travel your jewelry does, the less likely you are to get it back at the end of the day. To protect yourself, be sure that your jewelry will be repaired onsite.
Take a picture of what you are dropping off
While a picture of your broken bracelet can’t speak to the quality of the stones involved, it is a good method of proving that the item in question did exist. This might also come in handy in the event that you need to claim a loss or theft of jewelry against your homeowners insurance policy.
Examine your jewelry before you take it home
Before you walk off with your newly-fixed jewelry, you’ll want to take a few minutes to examine it while you’re still in the store. (A good jeweler will usually suggest that you do this to ensure that you’re satisfied with the quality of his work.) First of all, you’ll need to make sure that the jewelry piece in question is actually the same one that you initially dropped off. Even if your jeweler is a genuinely honest person, mistakes do happen, and it is possible for a jeweler to accidentally give you the wrong pendant or ring if it strongly resembles another item that he happened to work on around the same time. Additionally, you’ll want to make sure that that repair work was successful in addressing the problem at hand. For example, if your ring needed to be reset, then you’ll want to inspect it to make sure that its stones are now sitting tightly as they should be. Finally, before you leave the jewelry store, make sure that the repairs did not impact on your jewelry’s ability to fit. Sometimes a slight alteration over the course of a repair job can result in a piece that no longer fits properly; if this is the case, then you’ll want to get that issue resolved before heading off on your merry way.
Find a trustworthy jeweler
The best way to eliminate the majority of your concerns with respect to jewelry repair is to find a jeweler that you can truly trust. If you’re new to your area and don’t have any experience with the local jewelers, then ask a colleague, friend, or neighbor to recommend someone known for his honesty and quality of work. By finding the right jeweler, you can take the stress out of jewelry repair.
By heeding the aforementioned advice, you’ll put yourself in the best position to have your jewelry repaired in the most secure manner possible. Remember, whether your jewelry is valuable or simply sentimental, the more thorough you are before dropping it off for repairs, the better your experience is likely to be.
