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