How to Repair Jewelry at Home (Easily)

We’ve all been there, having a beloved piece suddenly break on us. Nothing worse than a clasp coming loose or chain breaking. Most repairs are fairly simple, however if you’re dealing with fine or demi-fine jewelry you’ll need to get it repaired professionally to ensure quality. Having spare parts for jewelry is always a good idea and I would suggest keeping spare ear nuts and jump rings on hand. Here’s common jewelry repairs that you can easily resolve at home with a few supplies.

Broken Clasp

Broken clasps can be annoying but luckily they’re simple to replace. You’ll need to purchase a new clasp whether it’s a lobster or spring ring and they can easily be found online or at your local craft store. Once you’ve got your new clasp, you’ll need two pairs of pliers though if you have one and strong fingers you can make do. You’ll simply need to open the jump ring and remove the old clasp then replace it with the new one and close the jump ring. If you have two pliers, you’ll want to use one to hold the ring stable and the other to bend it open. If you’ve only got one plier then use that to hold the ring stable and your finger/thumb to push the ring open.

Broken Chain

Broken chains can be a bit trickier depending on where they’ve snapped. If the chain has broken closer to the ends, you can always purchase a chain extender and attach that to the chain to gain back the length without having to replace any of the chain. However if the break is closer to the center, you’ll likely need to replace the chain entirely. You can find chains already finished at your desired length online or at beading stores. If you’re looking a quick fix and don’t think it’ll be too noticeable, you can also grab some jump rings online or at your local craft store and attach the two ends of the chain together. I wouldn’t suggest any type of glue in this scenario because it simply won’t hold up.

Pearl Stringing

If your pearl necklace has broken apart, fixing it actually is doable at home by restringing them. First you need silk beading thread and a needle. A larger sewing needle would work as long as it doesn’t exceed the width of the hole in the pearl. You’ll want to reuse the clasp so don’t throw that away. You’ll need to knot the thread onto the ring of the clasp before you get started. Once that’s set you can string the pearls one of two ways; one you can simply transfer the pearls from the original onto your new thread or two, you can create a knot like you would in sewing after each pearl is added. Adding knots between each pearl is common so that they don’t rub against one another. Once you’ve transferred all of the pearls you’ll just need to attach the other part of the clasp by creating a knot through its ring.

Stone Has Fallen Out - Fashion Jewelry Only

This type of repair is only appropriate for fashion jewelry as stones or crystals tend to be glued into their settings. Demi-fine and fine jewelry should always be repaired professionally. If your stone has fallen out and you managed to hold on to it then gluing it back is fairly simple. You’ll need jewelry epoxy glue (not epoxy resin)! Jewelry epoxy glue should come in 2 tubes that you’ll need to mix together before applying. There’s other forms of jewelry glue but I wouldn’t recommend them as they won’t hold up as well.

Demi-fine and fine jewelry should be repaired professionally and it’s easiest to reach out to whomever you purchased the jewelry from first as repairs may be covered or fairly inexpensive. Repairing your jewelry at home is totally possible and doable when it comes to fashion jewelry. You can easily find what you may need online such as from Amazon or specialty beading supply stores. You can also usually find these items in your local craft store such as Michaels. Buying quality jewelry and taking appropriate care of your jewelry can reduce the need for repairs.