1 What is the best way to find a competent jeweler?

2 Is my jewelry automatically insured while being repaired or appraised?

3 How often should my jewelry be cleaned, and by what method?

4 How often should I have the prongs on my engagement ring checked?

5 How often should pearls and beads be re-strung?

6 How is a ring sized?

7 Can a ring be stretched or shrunk?

8 Is costume jewelry repairable?

9 What is laser welding?

10 How often should my watch be cleaned?

11 Who is the best person to repair my watch?

12 What does "water resistance" mean?

13 How do I get my watch to be water-resistant?

14 What is the difference between water resistant and waterproof?

Appraisals and Gemology

16 How can I be sure I am receiving a proper appraisal?

17 How is the appraised value determined?

18 How can I find out the value of my jewelry without getting an appraisal?

19 How do I know if my gemstones are genuine?

20 How do I know if my pearls are cultured, natural, or simulated?

21 How do I know if my item of "antique" jewelry is authentic or a reproduction?

22 What is the nature of the new diamond simulant, synthetic moissanite, and how does it differ from cubic zirconia?

23 What does "fracture filled" mean and does it affect the value of my gemstone?

24 What does a jeweler have to disclose about merchandise offered for sale?
 
 

In some cases it may actually be safer to stretch or shrink a ring rather than cutting and soldering to change its size. Tools are available that will allow the jeweler to enlarge the ring size by tapping with a special hammer or literally stretching the metal on a special cylinder designed for the process. In most cases this process thins the metal so minutely that the difference in thickness is hardly noticeable, and its strength is not decreased. Some rings such as plain wedding bands can be shrunk by using special equipment to compress the metal. Generally, stretching or shrinking rings are processes reserved for small changes in size.

In the hands of an expert, most costume jewelry is repairable, often nearly or completely to its original condition. Lost rhinestones can be replaced. Safety catches, pins, and other hardware are replaceable as well. The jeweler who is properly trained in the delicate processes required for proper costume jewelry repair and restoration can work magic on that special piece that might have sentimental value far in excess of its monetary worth.

With repeated wear the thread that secures beads and pearls, knotted or strung without knots, stretches and loses its strength. If yournecklace or bracelet is strung with knots, watch for fraying of the knots and increasing spaces between beads or pearls. Every wearer treats his or her beads differently, so there is no predictable time frame during which the piece will have to be restrung. If you watch for the signs described above or simply have your jeweler check your necklace orbracelet regularly, you can avoid the unpleasant surprise of having your pearls break at an inopportune time.

Do not trust your treasured costume jewelry to just anyone. Make sure that your jeweler is not only willing to take on the task, but expert in the procedures required to properly restore the piece to wearable and aesthetically pleasing condition.

Gemstones and other jewelry materials may be very sensitive to heat as well as temperature changes in general. Heating and rapid cooling will shatter even the most durable of materials. Frequently jewelry is damaged in close proximity to a sensitive material such as enamel. Because enamel is actually just glass that has been melted and fused to metal, the prolonged heat required to solder gold, silver or platinum by conventional means is likely to cause damage.

Along comes the laser. Laser applied heat is generated so quickly that there is little or no buildup of heat in the metal, therefore enamel or gems set adjacent to the repaired area are not susceptible to the extremes that cause damage. Because the heat is applied and removed so quickly, metals can be fused without damaging even the most sensitive materials such as shell cameos, amber, and pearls.

If you have been told that a special piece of your jewelry is not repairable because of the delicate materials it contains, you now have the opportunity to ask again-thanks to modern technology!