Learn How To Use Watch Tools

INSPECT YOUR JEWELRY

HOW TO INSPECT YOUR JEWELRY FOR REPAIRS AND MAINTENANCE

This post contains affiliate links. If you use these links to buy something I may earn a commission. Thanks! As an Amazon Associate I also earn from qualifying purchases.

Inspect Your Jewelry For Breaks Damage Chips

Is your Jewelry Broken?

Most people take their items into a jewelry store to get them clean and inspected twice a year.

In fact, this routine maintenance is normally required to uphold any warranties, guarantees, or service plans that the store may give you on your jewelry.

But I’m here to say…

It’s Not Enough!

Your rings take a lot of abuse throughout your daily lives (how many times do you cut yourself and have no idea how it happened?). It’s way to easy to break something, damage a prong, or chip a stone (or even lose one), and not even know it.

This can be prevented…

If you Inspect your Jewelry!

Inspect them on a regular basis, like once a week, or at least twice a month. Inspect and clean them yourself.

Buy a few items to make inspections easier:

Learn how to inspect them, and what to look for…

RINGS:

  • Grab a loupe and check your prongs good. Make sure they’re built up and durable – not worn flat on the stone. You should be able to run your fingers over the tops of your prongs and feel the small nubs. If they feel smooth and flat and flush with the stone, it’s time to have them rebuilt.
  • Make sure your prongs aren’t cracked either. They tend to either crack at the tops, where they bent over the stone, or they tend to break at the base. So check your prongs good for any signs of fractures or hairline fissures.
  • Make sure your prongs are evenly spaced all the way around your stone. If one prong is bent, or bumped, leaning more towards one prong than the other, get it repaired. This enlarged gap that’s created around your stone, leaves the edge open and vulnerable to chipping or breaking. Prongs should all be uniform, the same height, and resting upon the stone (not lifted).
  • Check the shank of the ring (the part that goes under your finger). Make sure it’s durable, thick – not thin, worn, breaking, out of shape, (flat or oval), and also look for any signs of stretching, pits or bubbles in the band. These are all signs that the shank could break, and that it needs to be cut off and a new one installed.
  • Check any channel walls for clean lines and durability. If the walls appear jagged, thin, uneven, or sharp, they need to be redone.
  • Check your stones (both diamonds and gemstones) for tightness. This can be done with the edge of your fingernail (put it to the edge of the stone, the girdle, and gently see if it turns). Don’t force it. You don’t want to loosen it by checking it! Or better yet, use diamond tweezers, grab opposite sides of the stone and see if it rocks, tilts, or twists in the head. If it moves, it’s loose, and if it’s loose, it needs to be tightened (loose stones that spin, can chip around the girdle, or even pull free from the head).
  • Grab your loupe again and view all your stones. Make sure they’re not fractured, cracked in half, chipped, or even missing from the mounting (you’d be surprised how often this happens).

NECKLACES / BRACELETS:

  • Check the links well to see if the links are pulling apart (stretching). This is a sign that they are getting weak, pulled on, and could snap or break.
  • Check that the jump rings, or links holding them together, aren’t thinning out. They tend to literally cut and saw themselves from all the constant movement and friction. Don’t forget to check the rings on the clasps and pendants as well!
  • Run your fingers over the chain, you shouldn’t feel any rough spots. It should feel smooth and sturdy. If you find broken pieces, or parts that stick up and snag, it’s time to get them soldered.
  • Check the clasp to make sure it’s working properly and secure. Also make sure that the clasp itself closes all the way and doesn’t leave a gap! If the spring feels weak, or fragile, it may be time to get a new clasp. P.S. Lobster clasps are the most durable clasp you can buy.
  • Make sure you also check your prongs and gems in the pendants or bracelets. These can come loose and break just as well.

EARRINGS:

  • Check to make sure the earring backs are tight and secure. And if you can, get locking earring backs (like these best selling backs here on Amazon). For if the back is weak, bent, or doesn’t hold, you’ll lose your earring for sure.
  • Make sure the earring posts are straight and not bent or weak.
  • Make sure the base of the posts are not cracking either!
  • Check the prongs and gems in your earrings, many times these get tangled, caught, or snagged on your clothing, sweaters, and hair.
  • If the earrings have screw posts, make sure the threads are durable and not stripped. The screw nut should rotate securely (if not snugly), and not pull off, spin freely, or tilt sideways.

WATCHES:

  • Make sure the second hand is ticking properly. If it hangs on the other hands (gets caught), it’s come loose from the gears and needs to be realigned. And, if the second hand is ticking 2 seconds at a time, that means that the battery is dying – Get it replaced! Or replace it yourself with a Watch Tool Kit.
  • Make sure the crystal isn’t cracked. If there’s a crack or break, moisture can get inside the watch and rust your parts.
  • Make sure the stem and crown of the watch work properly. Many times these don’t rotate properly due to being bent. And sometimes they even pull all the way out of the watch. Not good! That needs to be replaced.
  • Check the back of the watch, too. Where the cover seals on the watch case, you want to make sure that it’s tight, flush, and not gapped. If there’s a gap, if it’s not sealed right, or if the gasket is eroded or broken, then it should be replaced quickly. If not, water can get into the watch and ruin your movement (and movements aren’t cheap to replace).
  • Check the band or strap near the watch itself. Make sure the pins are strong and tight, and not pulling apart or bending.
  • Check your links, too. Make sure all the seams are flush, tight, any cotter pins are pushed down (not sticking up), any screws are screwed in and snug, and that the links move correctly and smoothly (links tend to get ultra dirty inside and can leave black stains on your wrist). Make sure you remove the band from the watch and clean the links every now and then. This also keeps the metal from rusting up or any plated layers from eroding.
  • Check the clasp, make sure it’s snapping closed and secure.

So how’d you do?

Going through your jewelry often, can prevent a lot of headaches and mishaps in the future. Because some people never look at their jewelry (nor clean them), until it’s too late, and something gets broken, chipped or lost.

Look over your items well. If you have any concerns, take it to a jeweler and have it professionally inspected.

A Jeweler’s Opinion is Good Peace of Mind.

Plus, it can prevent you from losing a diamond!

And that’s well worth the time and effort to inspect it.

Clean your Jewelry Often!

Keep your items clean and shiny. Clean them once a week if you can. This keeps dirt and debris off the prongs, metal and stones, and keeps them from getting scratched, harmed or damaged.

WARNING:

Keep any GOLD away from BLEACH! Bleach will break down Gold, make it brittle, pit it, and destroy it!

Plus, when your goods are dirty, it makes spotting cracks or chips more difficult, if not impossible.

So Inspect your Jewelry TODAY!

P.S. The Steam Cleaner gets your jewelry, diamonds, and gems looking perfectly spotless and clean, just like the professionals do at jewelry stores.

Cheers! :)




Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter 10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

Recommended Jewelry Supplies:

Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner Jewelry Steam Cleaner
Complete Jewelry Cleaner Kit Diamond Dazzle Stick
Gold Silver Jewelry Polishing Cloths Jewelry Making Supplies Kit
Gold Acid Test Kit Watch Tool Repair Kit
Ring Adjusters EMT Emergency Ring Cutter
10x Jewelers Loupe Jewelers Microscope

Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published.


*

Not Responsible for Content on External Internet Sites. Any Links may be Affiliate Links!