How To Find the Perfect Jewelry Repair Shop

Don’t Trust Your Precious Jewelry Repair to Just Anyone

Many of our clients have a strong emotional connection with their jewelry, whether it’s a cherished antique heirloom handed down through generations or a new engagement ring they love to show off. But what happens when these cherished pieces get broken? That’s when the art of fine jewelry repair steps in to breathe some much-needed life back into them.

At East Towne Jewelers, we understand how important those special pieces are to you. We’ve provided reliable, fast, and friendly jewelry repair services in the Milwaukee area for over thirty years. Our journey has allowed us to witness the joy of rejuvenating damaged jewelry and restoring it to its original glory.

East Towne Jewelers provides a wide range of repair services, from ring sizing and jewelry cleaning to chain repairs and clasp replacements. No matter your jewelry woe, our experts are ready to service any requirements you have. Trust and communication are integral to our repair process. We’ll help you understand the problem and provide honest suggestions and precise cost estimates for the repairs needed. Most repairs are simple and straightforward, but for more complicated repairs, you will always be kept in the loop throughout the process, ensuring you are comfortable every step of the way.

Because we believe in keeping our customers fully informed, we’ve put together an overview of fine jewelry repair services. Read on to learn what to look for in a jewelry repair shop and how the ring repair process works.

8 Key Factors To Look For In A Jewelry Repair Shop

You may not be a jewelry expert, so how do you find a trustworthy professional to entrust your cherished pieces? It is important to note that not every jewelry store can be trusted with jewelry repair. Here are a few things to look for when searching for a place to bring your broken pieces:

#1: Reputation

Reputable jewelers such as East Towne Jewelers have built a solid reputation for their reliable and friendly services over the years. Look for a local shop that has served its local communities for decades. Also, a quality jewelry center will have ample testimonials from satisfied customers. Take a look at East Towne’s page of testimonials, which shows why our customers keep coming back.

#2: Expertise

It’s not just about repair. It’s about restoration and preservation. Expert jewelers can restore gold, silver, or platinum pieces and offer a wide range of repair services, from ring sizing and jewelry cleaning to stone replacement and re-setting. Our knowledge of gems, metals, and styles is a testament to our expertise, allowing us to guide customers toward making informed decisions. This knowledge extends to understanding the hardness of different stones, the malleability of various metals, and the most suitable cleaning methods to preserve the integrity of each piece.

Gemstones, for instance, range from robust diamonds to softer stones like opal, each requiring different handling techniques. Similarly, metals have their specificities; gold, silver, platinum, and newer alloys each react differently to heat, stress, and wear. East Towne Jewelers’ seasoned experts know how to approach each material, ensuring the repair enhances the jewelry without compromising its original character.

#3: Understanding The True Value Of Your Jewelry

True jewelry repair expertise lies in diagnosing issues correctly, recommending the best course of action, and executing repairs with a blend of technical skill and artistry. The goal is not just to fix a piece of jewelry but to restore its beauty, functionality, and meaning for the wearer. When choosing a jewelry repair service, look beyond the surface. Seek out those who approach each piece with care and who can articulate how they plan to restore your jewelry to its former glory—or perhaps, make it even better.

#4: Customer Service

Great customer service is a cornerstone of a great jewelry repair shop. They treat every jewelry repair project as if it were their own, using industry-leading knowledge, advanced technologies, and high-caliber craftsmanship. At East Towne Jewelers, we see your fine jewelry as more than an object; we recognize the story behind it and what that story means to you. Our commitment to impeccable service shines through as we conduct a detailed inspection and evaluation to plan the best approach to repair. Beyond the aesthetics, each piece is restored by taking into account who will be wearing the piece and how they will wear it.

#5: Quick Turnaround

No one wants to part with their beloved jewelry for an extended period of time. A jewelry repair shop with a fast turnaround time, like East Towne Jewelers, is always a plus. We have an efficient process that allows you to reunite with your repaired pieces quickly without sacrificing the quality of your jewelry repairs.

#6: Honest Estimate

Getting a cost estimate before committing to repair services allows you to know what to expect. A good jewelry repair shop should provide a free and detailed estimate after inspecting your item. Contact us by phone, e-mail, or (preferably) in person to get a quote on your repairs. The more information you can give us will allow us to give you a more accurate price estimate.

#7: Reasonable Price

While looking for a repair shop, remember the cheapest option may not always be the best. Quality repair work is worth the investment. However, jewelry repairs shouldn’t break the bank. Our mission at East Towne Jewelers is to deliver the highest level of service while remaining affordable to our customers.

#8: Variety of Services

When searching for the best repair services, ensure the shop can meet your unique jewelry needs. At East Towne Jewelers, we are extremely knowledgeable about a spectrum of services, from bracelet repair to cracked wedding bands. We also have ample experience with stone setting if your gem is lost or coming loose. While we do not do watch repairs in-house, we can refer you to a trusted partner in the Milwaukee area who will get your watch ticking in no time!

How Are Broken Rings Fixed?

Engagement rings, class rings, wedding bands—everyone loves a sparkling ring! Unfortunately, they can become prone to damage and wear with time and regular use. From tarnished surfaces to lost stones, rings can suffer a variety of issues. Ring repair is a fascinating and meticulous process, and many of these techniques apply to all jewelry repair types. If you’re wondering how jewelry is repaired, here’s a glimpse into what we do at East Towne Jewelers:

Our Tools

The foundation of many repairs is a sturdy work surface provided by a bench block. We also use hammers of various sizes and weights to carefully reshape metal without causing damage. Shaping tools are essential to manipulating metal, allowing us to bend, curve, and adjust jewelry components precisely, ensuring that each piece fits perfectly.

A jeweler’s hand extends into their pliers and cutters, instruments used to grip, bend, cut, and hold metal wires, chains, and more. The finesse lies in choosing the right tool and size tool for each task, avoiding unnecessary stress on the jewelry. Files, reamers, brushes, and drills enable the jeweler to smooth edges, refine shapes, and create or enlarge holes with meticulous attention to detail, ensuring that repairs are virtually invisible.

Hole punches and saws are used to cut metal and create openings for stones or designs. They demand a steady hand and an eye for detail, ensuring that each modification is both necessary and aesthetically pleasing.

Finally, precision is the soul of jewelry repair. Calipers, rulers, and gauges ensure that each element of the piece is proportionally correct, aligning with the original design and integrity of the jewelry.

Types of Jewelry and Ring Repair

While a ring is simple in concept, a surprising number of things can go wrong. Here are the most common issues that we fix at East Towne Jewelers:

Ring Sizing

This is probably the most common repair that we see at East Towne Jewelers. As people age or their weight fluctuates, they often find their rings no longer fit properly. Whether your ring is loose and falling off or so tight you can’t remove it, we can help adjust it to a snug but comfortable fit.

Restoring Shine

Have you noticed your ring losing its shine over time due to scuffs and dirt? Or perhaps it’s tarnishing due to exposure to skin and other chemicals. We can easily buff off a thin surface layer to remove these imperfections, then thoroughly clean it using industry-grade machinery ensuring every crevice is dirt-free. Colored stones that have faded or chipped due to years of wear can be restored to their original glittery appearance with a little polishing. A skilled lapidary can help remove scratches and soften chips.

Summertime can be particularly harsh on jewelry. We all tend to be a little more active and expose our jewelry to swimming, wearing sunscreen, and sweat and physical activity. A good cleaning can bring a dull piece of jewelry back to life!

Stone Replacement

As prongs loosen over time, it leaves the potential for the stone to fall out. This common issue results in an unsightly empty setting. Our expert jewelers can perfectly match the lost stone in size and quality, resetting it for a seamless look.

Prong Repair

A common problem with rings is wear and tear on the prongs holding the stones. Our jewelers repair this by adding a bit of matching wire to the base of the setting, then polishing it and ensuring it securely holds the stone. We recommend stopping in every year to have us inspect your rings so we can help you avoid losing a precious stone. Read our article about having your ring checked.

Ring Shank Replacement

For rings that are significantly thin, cracked, or broken, a ring shank replacement is needed. The original band is cut off and replaced with a thicker, stronger portion of metal. This can be a quarter, half, or full-shank replacement, depending on the area of work.

Clasp Tightening

No matter what kind of clasp you have on your jewelry, with regular wear it can become loose. We can inspect your pieces and clean and tighten loose clasps to help you avoid disaster. We recently had an avid fisherwoman who wore her 50-year-old bracelet every day get it hooked on the end of her fishing pole! Luckily it was rescued and we were able to repair it. But it serves as a good reminder to remove your precious bracelets, necklaces, and other jewelry when participating in activities like fishing, gardening, swimming, biking, and more.

Clasp Sizing

If you have a bracelet or necklace with a clasp that is too small for your fingers, changing to a larger clasp is a simple fix and we do it almost every day.

Gold Plating

White gold jewelry often needs rhodium plating to hide its original yellow-gray look. Similarly, gold-plated rings can wear down to the base metal. Our jewelers polish the ring to remove old plating, then submerge the item in a plating tank where gold or rhodium is fused to the surface.

Enameling

Enameling is another common aspect of ring restoration, especially for fancy or class rings. The jeweler polishes the ring, removes all original enamel, applies new enamel, and leaves the item to cure, hardening the paint to the ring’s surface.

Don’t Get Broken Hearted Over Broken Jewelry—East Towne Jewelers To The Rescue!

The shop you choose should ultimately have your best interest at heart, letting you wear your beautiful family heirloom or favorite piece of jewelry with pride, knowing it’s been handled with care and expert precision.

So why choose East Towne Jewelers for your jewelry repair? Simply put, we care. We value your jewelry’s personal and monetary worth, emphasize exceptional customer service, and commit to quality workmanship on every project. With us, your precious treasures are not just in good hands; they are in the best hands.

Come to our Mequon location and get the personalized service you and your pieces deserve. If you have broken jewelry lying in the depths of your dresser drawers, don’t send it to the grave quite yet. Let East Towne Jewelers bring your precious items back to life!