Watching your favorite piece of jewelry break can be heartbreaking, made worse by the fact that, despite our best intentions, actually seeking professional repair can take many of us years or even longer. Yet, while some repairs are undeniably best handled by the pros, there are some great DIY options that many of us do not even realize are even on the table. To stop your best jewelry from ending up out of action indefinitely, we’re going to look at the three best options here:
# 1: Replace Earring Wires
When one wire in a pair of earrings breaks, bends or just stops sitting right, it can feel like it is curtains for both of them. In reality, though, this is one of the simplest issues to manage yourself, and all you need to do is find a replacement wire (or two, for the sake of finding an exact match,) and then invest in a pair of flat-nosed pliers. With your tools to hand, gently pry apart the ring to which your wire is connected, just enough to slip the old one out and the new one in, and then make sure to secure tightly again before wearing.
# 2: Rejoin A Broken Necklace
Sometimes, an entire breakage can leave every element of a much-loved necklace in jeopardy, leaving you to feel as though even a professional would struggle. In reality, however, if you are willing to accept that things will never be 100% the same as they were, then there is no reason you cannot take care of this yourself, too. Admittedly, the intricacies of this task could be a little harder, but as long as you still have all the essential elements of your necklace, investing in a replacement wire (or using elastic, ribbon, etc.) and making sure to stock up on essentials like silver jump rings, crimps, and clasps, is all it really takes. From then, you will need a steady hand, a strong, targeted light, and the patience to slowly rebuild a necklace that you can love once again.
# 3: Resizing A Ring
Over time, rings can become either too small, or bent out of shape so that they are impossible to wear. This is perhaps one of the main reasons that we take our rings to the jewelers, but DIY is also an option. Admittedly, if your ring is expensive or includes fine stones, you may want to steer clear in case of mistakes. If you’re brave enough, however, investing in a ring mandrel and a leather mallet allows you to manipulate the ring by simply tapping the sides according to your needs. Use a ring sizer as guidance, and keep on trying your ring on until you reach a size that you’re comfortable with once more.
DIY jewelry might seem daunting, but it can actually provide a fun opportunity to customize pieces that you already love. Whether you start small or dive in with a total necklace repair, you can bet your items will be one-of-a-kind, and exactly how you want them in no time.
