QuestionI fell and cracked my jade bangle in three places. The cracks run through the entire width of the bangle, so it is really in three pieces now, but the pieces are still sticking together. I'm sure that they will come apart if I wear the bangle again. Is there any way to repair the cracks before the whole bangle breaks?
AnswerElizabeth, as long as no pieces of the jade are lost, a stronger repair may be made once it does break in two. That sounds strange but is based on the thought that cement should join the total fractured faces together. It is quite difficult to get a strong cement like epoxy into a break which is only a crack with little surface exposure.
A jeweler may help but a rock shop may do better! Why? Rock shop operators or folks who are customers to those shops will more likely be familiar with an epoxy product made for filling fractures in gem materials, including jade. The product is called Opticon and you may find it on the net along with some reviews. This stuff has a limited shelf life and is not fun to work with. But, it does work pretty well as my old rockhound experience and sometimes use in jewelry work has proven. If the cracks in the bracelet are quite serious to the structural integrity of the jade, I doubt this fracture filler will help, even if it will disguise the cracks but perhaps leave the cracks weak.
This is my best recommendation. The other option is for a jeweler who does casting to perhaps put a good water clear epoxy on the bracelet and vacuum it with the casting vacuum machine to help cause the cement to get into the breaks. Most jewelers are not going to do this because it is quite messy, absolutely no assurance of good results and because they may fear cement vapor will damage the machine.
If the breaks go complete, the cement of use for repair is Hughes 330 epoxy. It is the best for this sort of work.
I am really sorry you bracelet is cracked.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas.
