| One of the many ways to express ourselves is | | | | better quality work. Soldering requires not only |
| through jewelry - it is often luxurious, elegant and | | | | the equipment but a place to do it and training on |
| give an air of comfort and sophistication. It | | | | torch work. This is not recommended at home - |
| indicate our fashion sense, our flair for beauty and | | | | trust a professional. |
| elegance. But, jewelry receives wear and tear like | | | | 6. Jewelry repair requires not only soldering |
| almost any other items that we possess. | | | | equipment but also buffing machines, hand motor |
| Oftentimes, a stone is lost from our earrings, | | | | tools, acid pots, many assorted hand tools and a |
| chains of our bracelets get broken, or they get | | | | good bench set-up. This requires professional help. |
| tarnished. Luckily, all is not lost and jewelry can be | | | | 7. Some equipment may be useful -you need a |
| repaired. | | | | strong fingernail or two when dealing with jewelry |
| Jewelry repair is a profession just like other | | | | but tools such as a chain nose (needle nose |
| technical professions and equipment and training is | | | | jeweler's plier) or other pliers may be helpful. |
| needed to do the work well. You may wish to | | | | When the repair requires you to attach a clasp, a |
| entrust this work to someone else - the expense | | | | jump ring (loop of gold) may be used to hold |
| can be well worth the peace of mind. | | | | parts together. The pliers allow opening and closing |
| Here are some tips to restore your old jewelry: | | | | the loop. Open a jump ring by moving one side |
| 1. Precious metal jewelry tarnishes and bends | | | | toward you and the other away from you. Twist |
| easily. To remove tarnish, use a liquid jewelry | | | | open then simply twist back the same way to |
| cleaner with a dipping tray or a spray bottle. Wear | | | | close. |
| gloves to protect yourselves from the strong | | | | 8. In repairing broken chains, the difficulty lies in |
| chemicals and take care of any odour produced | | | | the fact that the chain is made up of fine wires. |
| from the chemical reaction. Use the cleaners in a | | | | The wires heat up fast when trying to melt the |
| well-ventilated area. After rinsing the jewelry in | | | | solder. Jewelers coat the chain with an anti-flux |
| warm water, dry it with a towel, then with a | | | | such as yellow orcher or white out, and cover the |
| polishing cloth. | | | | chain with a heat sink such as a washer, razor |
| 2. To mend a broken clasp, go to a jewelry | | | | blade, or coins. Inspect the chain to discover how |
| supply store or a craft department and purchase | | | | the links are put together. Double-check the work |
| a replacement clasp, "jump" rings, and fastening | | | | of the salesperson taking the repair. Remove the |
| tools. These may also be purchased online in | | | | damaged links from the broken ends of the chain. |
| jewelry repair kits. | | | | Then, cut the end links to re-assemble the chain. |
| 3. To flatten a chain, lay the piece down on a | | | | Cut the links with a fine saw blade, small end |
| desk and roll a round pen or pencil over the area | | | | cutters, or a cut-off wheel in your flex shaft. |
| until it becomes smooth. | | | | Re-assemble the chain, add the solder, heat, clean |
| 4. To prevent the posts on earrings from bending | | | | and then polish the chain. Do not polish chains on a |
| easily, do not apply a lot of pressure to them | | | | polishing machine. Simply lay the chain across your |
| when putting them in your ears. You can try | | | | bench pin, hold the chain down stiff with your |
| different styles of earrings such as a lever-back, | | | | thumb and index finger. With a bristle brush in |
| French wire, or the newer "threader" earrings. | | | | your flex shaft polish at medium speed the area |
| 5. Soldering with gold solders is used to make | | | | of chain between your thumb and finger. Polish |
| repairs on broken chains. The loops or jump rings | | | | the chain little by little in this manner. |
| that hold clasps to chains are also soldered in | | | | |