repairing jewellry

[Stephen]

Hello,

SWMBO has a necklace with "pretty bits" attached and one of the links holding one of the bits has broken. I was wondering how best to repair this? The links are too small to easily measure their size with a micrometer/calipers.

Could I form a replacement link using some suitable wire. Presumably I would have to solder the ends of the wire together with lead free solder (not used that before) as it would be in contact with the skin?

What wire is best to use? Should I use something silver plated, again so it does not irritate the skin? What diameter wire is best; it needs to be small enough to be discrete but strong enough not to break again?

I guess when I think of wire I think of copper but as it is not for current carrying, perhaps I should be looking at something else that would be stronger?

Thanks.

[Adrian Brentnall]

These pre-formed loops are called 'jump rings' - and can be had from the usual places (ebay / etsy etc.) in plated or precious metals. Very cheap (the postage will cost more than a bag of jump rings). Your friendly local jeweller might be persuaded to help - or even to do the repair for a small consideration.

They're usually (for costume jewellery) fitted simply by twisting the ring so that the ends of the ring move apart, looping the ring through the necklace / hanging thing, and then twisting back again to close.

As I say - choice is some kind of plated 'base metal' - or sterling silver / gold. The base metal ones tend to be stronger (size for size), and the gold / silver ones are sometimes silver/gold soldered - but to do that with something so small takes practise & a steady hand! You wouldn't normally use 'soft' solder.

Unless it's something very unusual, a proper jeweller (small independent who knows what they're doing - not part of a hight-street retail chain) could replace a base-metal jump ring in seconds, or solder a precious metal jump ring in minutes.

Adrian

[Chris Hogg]

+1 to AB's comments. I would just add that jump rings are usually opened by twisting the two parts of the ring (where they come together), sideways, rather than just opening it up to make the gap wider. Rather than solder of any sort, a tiny amount of Araldite on the join is usually sufficient to hold it closed, but often it's not even necessary.

[meow2222]

FWIW soft solder is too weak to make mechanical joints. It can hold already made joints in place, but that's about all.

NT

[dennis]

There are shops in the Birmingham jewellery quarter that will fit new gold rings for £2. There may be a jewellery maker near you that will do similar.

[Adrian Brentnall]

I was trying to say that! - but couldn't draw it with ASCII Art

I still have and use a handy gadget that Dad made 30 or 40 years ago - consists of a 5" piece of 3/8" wood dowel. Part-screwed into one end is a small slotted screw, larger slotted screw in 'tother. (Needs to be slotted, not those new-fangles philips things!)

To use - grip the jump ring in a pair of fine pliers, near the join. Engage the gadget with the jump ring on the other side of the join, and twist - so that the jump ring is now less of a ring and more of a helix.

Hang whatever on the jump ring, locate it over the chain etc - then twist the gadget the other way, so the ends of the ring close up again.

Beats trying to wrestle with two pairs of pliers.

If you try and open the jump ring by simply pulling the ends apart, you'll never get them to line up neatly again.

Takes longer to describe than actually do...

[Stephen]

Thanks for all the replies. I never thought of the obvious of looking for a ready made "proper" ring! I'll look into this.

Thanks again.