Every day we see rings with broken prongs, chains that have been stretched, watches that have water in them and earrings that have lost backs. And these are the lucky ones. Sadly, we often have heartbroken customers who have completely lost an earring or the diamond from their engagment ring.
Perhaps even more sad is the fact that they could have avoided such heartbreak if they had just taken their jewelry in to have it cleaned and checked by a local jeweler.
As you wear your jewelry, the metal gets worn down and stones become scratched and can even break.
When rings are worn, the prongs holding the stones in place get rubbed and knocked against things (like desks, doors, countertops and other rings) making them thin. The bottom of the ring can also become thin with years of wear.
When chains are tugged on by children or get caught in clothing, the links become stretched and the chain is weakened. Bracelets also have a tendancy to wear out when the individual links rub against each other.
That's why it is important to have your jewelry checked before things like this begin to happen. We recommend at least once a year, but two or three times isn't bad.
When jewelry is brought in to us, we inspect each piece under the microscope to ensure that stones are tight in their setting and no breaks or cracks exist in the stones or metal. At this point, we either inform the customer of problems with their jewelry or we polish and clean it for them. If problems exist, we provide an estimate to repair them.
Some jewelry stores charge to clean and check, but we do not, so contact multiple jewelers if you're unsure where to take your jewelry. Also, find a store that has a jeweler in-house so you are getting a professional's opinion on the condition of your jewelry. If you're not sure where to go, look for jewelers who are
American Gem Society members. We like to say that a piece of jewelry is kind of like a car: from time to time it needs to be cleaned and serviced for it to last.
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