Easy Jewelry Repair for Common Jewelry Breaks
Introduction: Easy Jewelry Repair for Common Jewelry Breaks
Jewelry often breaks. It's just a fact of life. No matter how fancy or cheap, tough or delicate, wearing jewelry causes it to break.
Today I'm going to walk you through how to repair common jewelry breakage issues. If you wear jewelry, you will run into at least one of these problems.
Supplies
I will list the supplies under each specific break issue because that will be much less confusing. Here is a list of contents so you can skip ahead to your specific need.
1. Broken Jewelry Chain
2. Lost Earring Back
3. Broken Stud Earring
4. Broken Necklace Clasp
Step 1: Broken Jewelry Chain
Supplies:
- Round nosed pliers OR Rosary pliers (using two pliers makes this a lot easier)
- Broken chain
- Optional: jump rings
One of the most common problems is a broken chain. Those tiny little links break SO easily.
Luckily, they are a rather easy fix. Here I have two ways.
Take the broken link out of the chain and discard it. I find that most of the time the broken link is practically impossible to repair, so just get rid of it.
Hold on to the first link on the chain end (the one that was next to the broken link) with one of the sets of pliers. Look and make sure that where the link opening is is facing up. Take the second set of pliers and grip the other side of the loop. The loop opening should be in between the two sets of pliers. Twist one of the pliers, causing the loop to open sideways (don't pull it open).
Use your fingers or the second set of pliers to hook the other side of the broken chain in the now open loop. Use both pliers again like you did earlier, but this time twist the loop shut. Your chain is repaired.
Sometimes I like to kinda smash the new link shut just to make sure. Not really pretty, but functional.
A second option is to get rid of the broken link, open a jump ring, and pass it into the two end links of the broken chain. 902
Try to find a jump ring that is a similar size to your chain loops and it will be practically invisible. This is easier than opening the actual links of the chain, so if you have a hard time working on such a small piece, I advice using this route.
Step 2: Lost Earring Back
Supplies:
- Silicone Earring Stoppers
OR
-Hot glue gun stick
-Knife
Earring backs are so easy to lose. They just pop off and disappear. There is the old "eraser" repair, but I find that it doesn't really work for me, and having a piece of pink eraser stuck to the back of your ear is kinda obvious. Here are two ways you can fix a lost earring back.
The first way is kinda obvious. Silicone Earring Stoppers. They come with a lot of hook/hoop earrings that you buy, and they are actually what is inside clutch backs. If you look at one, you can barely see the silicone piece inside. When you buy earrings, keep those silicone pieces! I find they come in handy all the time. If you don't have any, you can easily find some online or in the store.
Now here is a better hack for if you don't have any. A hot glue stick.
Cut a little bit of the end of the hot glue stick using a knife. Take the earring and push it into the hot glue round. This is your new back. It can be a little difficult to find the hole you made in the hot glue when putting it in, but once you have this back isn't really gonna move. Plus, it is clear so it won't be that noticeable. and even if it is people will just assume it is a normal earring back instead of a replacement.
I was actually super pleased with how the hot glue back turned out. I liked it a lot and I need to try to remember it more when someone says they lost an earring back. A plus is that since the hot glue round is larger and flatter than most post backs, it will also help hold the earring up like those "ear savers"!
Step 3: Broken Earring Stud
Supplies:
-Post backs (available in craft stores or online)
-Gorilla Glue
I have found that Gorilla Glue is a pretty trustworthy glue with repairing metal items. As long as you are not tugging or pushing on it, it should hold.
The post backs are easily available in different places. I wish I could tell you some awesome hack for them, but there really isn't one. 320