eBay

oncoyotemountainart · ‎01-31-2015

Does anybody here do solder repairs? I think these are worth saving if for no other reason than because I like them. They're signed Judith Jack sterling and marcasite earrings. Can this be repaired and have the repair be reliable?

queencityfinejewelry · ‎01-31-2015

Hi- I can ask my jeweler on Monday when I'm there- he gives us wholesale prices ( he does most of the jewelry store repairs for the whole city) - I'm guessing it would be 10-12 dollars based on what I've had him do- just not sure if you add shipping it back and forth you wouldn't be able to get a new pair on eBay for the same price. But I'll check so we know. Pretty earrings and a nice quality designer. Jen

dafeldo · ‎01-31-2015

Yes they can be repaired. It's actually a pretty easy job if you use the right tools.

So here are the caveats:

1. The stones/crystals may change color or crack under heat. They will almost definitely crack if heated and quickly cooled; the usual solder process.

2. Heating solder will cause the patina - the colorization- to change. A new patina may have to be applied.

The solution: use low temp solder and a pinpoint laser. A very expensive setup.

Traditional flame soldering would probably not be a good idea.

The good news: most fast-fix jewelery stores have the needed equipment and will do it for a reasonable price. They also do a nice job with these projects. I'd advise taking it in and getting a quote. Also, the piece of metal you need is a standard finding that costs less than $0.25. This should be a quite affordable repair.

oncoyotemountainart · ‎01-31-2015

Yeah. We have one jewelry store up here and he doesn't do repairs. It's an hours drive down the mountain to the "Big City". Just the gas money alone makes it not cost effective. Welcome to the wonders of small town mountain life.

As much as I like them I may just go ahead and sell them as a repair set. Now that I think about it, any other option is probably too expensive to consider. Just a little sad about that, but oh well, it's been that kind of week.