If your piece is worth going to the trouble to repair or restore to its original luster, then it’s surely of great value to you - be it monetary or sentimental. Some repairs are easier than others, but the most it’s challenging of restorations that require a master jeweler to make things right again. Finding the right jeweler to fix your piece is the key to a good repair. Here are our top 5 recommended ‘must haves’ for a jeweler to do an exemplary jewelry repair:
1. The Jeweler Should Work Under a Microscope
Jewelry is typically very small and dainty, which makes it difficult to ensure all the details are perfect with the naked eye. Making a repair without a microscope is like flying blind: Cracks and porosity in the metal may be missed, loose gems and settings cannot be inspected thoroughly, and fine scratches, smudges, or dents can go unnoticed. All these damages, no matter how small, can add up to piece that’s simply unfit for a lifetime of confident wear.
At Green Lake Jewelry Works, there are over 20 jeweler’s benches, and each are equipped with the industry’s most advanced microscopic technology.
2. The Jeweler Should Provide a Firm Estimate for Work
What it will cost to fix your jewelry shouldn’t be a mystery. An experienced and reputable jeweler should be able to quote a firm estimate and stick to that number from beginning to end. In addition, have your jeweler provide you with clear before and after pictures to demonstrate all the work done and offer a guarantee to its quality.
Green Lake Jewelry Works’ repair specialists give one specific estimate for repairs and we stick to it. Additionally, we offer professional imagery of before and after of the piece upon pick-up. Perhaps most importantly, we offer a one-year guarantee on the work done, full stop.
3. The Jeweler Should Have Access to a Laser Welder
When old world techniques meet 21st century technology, the results can be truly stunning. By using a cutting edge laser welder, pieces can be resized, retipped, and otherwise restored with none of the seams or fragile bonds from repairs in the past. What’s more, because the process is both more efficient with time and materials, repairs are less costly overall.
4. The Jeweler Should Be Able to Complete the Work Themselves
If your piece is of great value and sentiment to you, don’t you want to know who or where your property is going to? The jewelry industry has changed a great deal in recent years and few jewelers actually do their own work. Instead, they will send it out (sometimes even out of state) for someone else to do. Make sure your ‘jeweler’ can work on fine pieces, not just sell them.
Because Green Lake crafts every piece of jewelry right here in the open workshop, you can be assured your jewelry will be repaired on site – and you can talk about the piece directly with the jeweler who will fix it.
5. The Jeweler Should be Trustworthy
How do you know if a jeweler is trustworthy? Well, they should have the experience to work on anything from a class ring to an heirloom estate piece. They should be open to having you present in the store while replacing a gemstone. Perhaps most importantly, they shouldn’t sell you on fixes you don’t need or guarantees you shouldn’t have to pay for.
Green Lake Jewelry Works is a place for artists and craftsmen, not salespeople. We collectively have over 500 years of jewelry experience all in the same workshop, so just about any challenge is met with confidence. We think we’re one of the best – and most trustworthy – places to bring in a jewelry repair, and we look forward to working with you!