Question
broken omega
Hello,
This morning I dropped my reversible 14k white and yellow gold omega. Picking it up I discovered what seemed to be a 'missing link' and some exposed mesh. I know nothing about these types of necklaces so I'm not sure if a section fell off in the fall or if the chain is just kinked out of place. It seems like the nearby links on either side are also moving around. I looked all over for a missing section but found nothing. I took it to a jeweler who told me the necklace was a lost cause(!) but offered no further explanation. I haven't had time to consult any other sources. Is my necklace broken for good or is there something else I can do?
I've included a picture, which is fuzzy but clearly shows the strange empty section on my necklace.
Thank you so much :)
AnswerAdrienne, first of all, thanks very much for the photo. That helps a lot in knowing the real situation.
I would not call your omega necklace a lost cause. Possibly the jeweler who looked at the necklace saw some damage I cannot see, however this sort of repair can be done even if not the "perfect" repair.
The omega design has a mesh core, the mesh you see. This is also made of gold. The mesh is there to be flexible and hold individual links to make up the exterior of the necklace. The links are gold forms which are bent to shape with the curved form and tightly placed together on the necklace. It does indeed look like you have lost a link. A lost link is unusual but I have seen it happen. Unless the link can be found, the necklace will have to be shortened. (I assume this is a necklace but repair would be the same for a bracelet.)
First be sure there is not a loose section somewhere else along the necklace perhaps closer to a clasp end. It is possible the necklace is stretched there and links slid along the mesh making the necklace appear to have lost a link. This event would be even more rare than losing a link, btw.
THE REPAIR WORK
A competent jeweler will need to cut the chain so the mesh is just fitted to the end of a link, one on each side of the cut. This effectively removes the bare mesh section. A good idea is to tack solder the link to the mesh on each side prior to cutting the mesh. Then the two ends are fitted together and soldered. With cleanup and polishing, the repair is done.
I said this is not the "perfect" repair. Why? The joint of the two links will not be flexible but so small a section will not be noticed. Also, this sort of soldering is quite difficult to do well and the repair may very well show slightly. All that depends on the skill of the jeweler and if it is a good day. : )
Adrienne, there you have my thoughts on the work. Feel free to use the follow-up option if you need to get back to me on this question.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
