Certain pieces of jewelry are always going to be timeless classics. Others may need a little hand from an experienced jewelry retouching provider. There are times your jewelry requires expert care, particularly if it is valuable or has sentimental value. Even the best-quality creations will need professional care with the passage of time. But there is no need to worry. With just a few small steps, your jewelry can look as good as new, as long as you know what you need to do. Here are some times when you might want to visit a specialist to help you revive your old jewelry:
The gold or silver has tarnished
Over time, metals such as gold and silver are prone to tarnish. If you wear a piece frequently, it gets exposed to air and oil from your body and gets tarnished. This can give it a dull appearance, taking away from its gleam. A bit of tarnish can be cleaned at home with a bit of polish or other homemade ingredients. But this is not recommended if your piece is very expensive, is made of high-purity gold, or is an antique.
If you attempt to clean your jewelry at home, you can easily scratch its surface or chip away bits of gold from it. If you don’t have the proper tools for cleaning, you can damage the surface or dissolve a thin layer of metal from around it. Instead, take it to a jeweler, who has the right tools and expertise. Vintage jewelry can break off easily, so you need to be extra careful when handling these.
You need to add or change something
You might wish to add or change something about your jewelry. Maybe you got handed down a ring with too many stones, and you would like to take out some stones and make earrings out of those. You need to take your problem to a specialty jeweler. They can help you add engravings, change minor aspects of the design, or add pieces together to update a vintage piece. It is also possible to add existing pieces of jewelry with new pieces to make a custom piece of jewelry.
It needs to be restored
Sometimes, your jewelry might require restoring due to regular wear and tear. If a stone has fallen off, you can get a new one put in. If there is a crack or something has defaced the jewelry, you can get it restored back to its original shape or design. Sometimes, broken pieces can be welded back together, or damaged stones can be replaced. You may also need to cut off pieces from a ring or necklace to adjust the fit, or you can add more material to make the size bigger.
Whichever reason you choose to go to the jeweler with an old piece of jewelry, it’s important to make sure that your jeweler knows exactly what they are doing and that they are trustworthy. A slight misstep with an old and valuable piece can be upsetting.
