Questioni got a silver ring about 3 months ago from a friend from england. it is an english wedding ring, and it depicts the traditional 2 hands holding a royal heart. my question does not have to do with the symbol. i have been wearing the ring everyday since then (in the shower, to bed, during volleyball etc) and recently a crack appeared on the outer part of the band. i looked on the inside of the band just last week, and the crack did not seem to follow all the way through. 10 minutes ago, however, i reached for my rought-iron railing, and noticed that the ring had completely cracked through the back part of the band. i was wondering if this is fixable/repairable, and who i should go to if it is. i live in hillsboro oregon. thank you!
AnswerHeidi, Thanks for the question.
I suspect the ring had a defect in the manufacturing process, perhaps too much stress on one area. That area finally gave way and the crack appeared. The ring may also have chemical damage but I honesty have not seen this happen much in silver jewelry items. The most common chemical affecting jewelry(generally gold and especially white gold) is chlorine. Three months seems too soon for chemical damage and I suspect a defect in the original making of the ring.
As for the crack, yes, it is possible to repair the break. Depending on the fit of the ends of the break, a jeweler may be able to properly repair by fitting the ends together and soldering. If the break is not a good fit for both sides, then the section is cut out and the repair is made, followed by resizing the ring to the correct size.
If the ring is rhodium plated or given a "non tarnish" coating, repair will mean one of two things: 1. The repair will be slightly visible where discoloration happens when repaired and polished and the plate is removed. 2. The entire ring will have to be buffed to remove the plated surface leaving you with sterling only.
Sterling is a fine metal for jewelry if you are like most folks and the metal does not tarnish from your skin moisture. Sterling will also tarnish from exposure to chemicals in swimming pools, sulfur gases in the air and salty sea environments. All it takes is a regular cleaning or polishing with a good chemically treated polishing cloth to restore the shine. I can personally wear sterling jewelry with no tarnish problems at all and perhaps you can, too.
So, the answer is yes, the repair can be done. Check for a jeweler with a good reputation, call to see if they repair sterling items, ask if they have a bench jeweler in-house. Some jewelry stores do not repair sterling(we do it all the time) and some farm out the work to a trade shop. You want to use a store where a jeweler is there and can actually look at your ring if needed to accept the repair and let you know what is truly needed.
Heidi, I do hope this helps a little. Feel free to use the follow-up option if you need more on this subject.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas. November 5,2007 8:19pm
P.S. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with jewelers in your area and cannot recommend a specific contact for you.
