Ring Repair
As active as most people are with their hands, the need for ring repair is fairly common. Rings that are worn regularly are subject to coarse, abrasive surfaces and are prone to metal fatigue and erosion. The constant bumping of the hands against knobs, handles, and table tops slowly wears at the integrity of ring shanks.
A ring shank is the body of a ring, and the lower portion of it is often the area that is scuffed and battered each time we reach or grab for something. Over time, perpetual contact with hard materials can make shanks thin and cause them to split. In the case of wedding sets, the constant grating of the wedding band against an engagement ring will ultimately thin shanks until they weaken.
If a ring has a simple break and is not worn too thin, our jewelers will simply solder or weld the broken area. This is typically a simple inexpensive ring repair. In cases where the ring has excessive deterioration, we will recommend replacing a portion of the lower ring, a procedure which is commonly referred to as shanking.
Depending on the extent of the wear we will either add a quarter or a half shank. The process requires a jeweler to cut the ring to remove the most worn section and replace it with fresh metal in platinum, or matching the karat and color of the existing gold. Each case is slightly different as we have to form the new metal to match the contours and design of an existing ring.
During the ring repair, consideration must be paid to delicate or sensitive stones that are set near the locations where work that is needed. When necessary our master jewelers will provide laser jewelry repairs to avoid risking damage to your stones.
Some ring repairs include resurrecting delicate elements of design or restoring intricate filigree in vintage rings. The ring repair that may have the most consequence, involves the potential loss of a gemstone or diamond. If the metal around precious gems is fatigued or worn our jewelers will prescribe the buildup of metal or recommend the prong repair necessary to secure the gems.
Having hundreds of years combined experience and a full manufacturing facility, our technical staff will find solutions and provide you with all of the possible ring repair options. Your rings will be skillfully restored on site in our Danbury Ct. location, where we have performed ring repairs for thousands of satisfied customers since 1980. While you visit we will provide free inspection and expert jewelry cleaning while you wait on any jewelry you have with you.