oncrutchesrightnow
Ideal_Rock
- Joined
- Apr 17, 2006
- Messages
- 3,079
A year ago yesterday I had an accident happen with my jewelry. It wasn't a fire but it was almost one. As it was, I had many of my rings with plastic melted onto them. To say I was sick is an understatement. After I gathered myself together and could think, I bought some jewelers tools, a lighted magnifier, a craft heat gun and got started. I made the mistake of telling the lady who works at the pawn shop what happened...that's where I purchased most of it, and she was of no help about where to take them for repairs, and when she mentioned it on a later visit my son made to the store, I just got really mad that she thought she had to say **anything** about it. No need to make me feel worse that I already did. He knew what had happened so it wasn't news to him. No telling who all she told......I haven't been in that store since then.
That's the backstory. Most of the pieces I was able to heat and pick the softened plastic off. Seven rings had damage to them or settings that were so intricate that I was going to have to see a jeweler to repair them. I happened upon a jewelry store in a neighboring town and took the rings in and talked to them about what needed to be done. He was very kind and said he could fix them, that he had people bring in jewelry that had been run over and the damage to mine was definitely fixable. In three weeks he had repaired them all, checked for any needed repairs that should be rectified such as previous resizing using 10 karat gold instead of the 14 karat gold that was the rest of the band....those re-sizes had been done at the pawn shop...one more reason I wouldn't go back. One needed a small diamond replaced, another needed a diamond put back into a setting...things like that. He simply asked, "So, you want these put back right?' My answer, "Absolutely....yes!" I never even asked how much it would cost. For the sum of $745 I had my rings back repaired, and looking great. The only one I had to do something extra with was an opal triplet that would never be the same. Only a very few people know about what happened and now you do, because I know you understand how devastated I was. I know two things: my husband was glad to see the smile back on my face and a good bench jeweler is literally worth their weight in gold.
My jewelry is now in a safe...a fireproof one.
A year ago yesterday I had an accident happen with my jewelry. It wasn't a fire but it was almost one. As it was, I had many of my rings with plastic melted onto them. To say I was sick is an understatement. After I gathered myself together and could think, I bought some jewelers tools, a lighted magnifier, a craft heat gun and got started. I made the mistake of telling the lady who works at the pawn shop what happened...that's where I purchased most of it, and she was of no help about where to take them for repairs, and when she mentioned it on a later visit my son made to the store, I just got really mad that she thought she had to say **anything** about it. No need to make me feel worse that I already did. He knew what had happened so it wasn't news to him. No telling who all she told......I haven't been in that store since then.
That's the backstory. Most of the pieces I was able to heat and pick the softened plastic off. Seven rings had damage to them or settings that were so intricate that I was going to have to see a jeweler to repair them. I happened upon a jewelry store in a neighboring town and took the rings in and talked to them about what needed to be done. He was very kind and said he could fix them, that he had people bring in jewelry that had been run over and the damage to mine was definitely fixable. In three weeks he had repaired them all, checked for any needed repairs that should be rectified such as previous resizing using 10 karat gold instead of the 14 karat gold that was the rest of the band....those re-sizes had been done at the pawn shop...one more reason I wouldn't go back. One needed a small diamond replaced, another needed a diamond put back into a setting...things like that. He simply asked, "So, you want these put back right?' My answer, "Absolutely....yes!" I never even asked how much it would cost. For the sum of $745 I had my rings back repaired, and looking great. The only one I had to do something extra with was an opal triplet that would never be the same. Only a very few people know about what happened and now you do, because I know you understand how devastated I was. I know two things: my husband was glad to see the smile back on my face and a good bench jeweler is literally worth their weight in gold.
My jewelry is now in a safe...a fireproof one.
What an amazing ring!! Never seen anything like it. May I ask who made it? I just love it!
I am so sorry that accident happened and that people were insensitive! I’m glad that most of your precious treasures have been restored
What a scare that must have been. Glad you're back to being able to enjoy your collection as intended!
A year ago yesterday I had an accident happen with my jewelry. It wasn't a fire but it was almost one. As it was, I had many of my rings with plastic melted onto them. To say I was sick is an understatement. After I gathered myself together and could think, I bought some jewelers tools, a lighted magnifier, a craft heat gun and got started. I made the mistake of telling the lady who works at the pawn shop what happened...that's where I purchased most of it, and she was of no help about where to take them for repairs, and when she mentioned it on a later visit my son made to the store, I just got really mad that she thought she had to say **anything** about it. No need to make me feel worse that I already did. He knew what had happened so it wasn't news to him. No telling who all she told......I haven't been in that store since then.
That's the backstory. Most of the pieces I was able to heat and pick the softened plastic off. Seven rings had damage to them or settings that were so intricate that I was going to have to see a jeweler to repair them. I happened upon a jewelry store in a neighboring town and took the rings in and talked to them about what needed to be done. He was very kind and said he could fix them, that he had people bring in jewelry that had been run over and the damage to mine was definitely fixable. In three weeks he had repaired them all, checked for any needed repairs that should be rectified such as previous resizing using 10 karat gold instead of the 14 karat gold that was the rest of the band....those re-sizes had been done at the pawn shop...one more reason I wouldn't go back. One needed a small diamond replaced, another needed a diamond put back into a setting...things like that. He simply asked, "So, you want these put back right?' My answer, "Absolutely....yes!" I never even asked how much it would cost. For the sum of $745 I had my rings back repaired, and looking great. The only one I had to do something extra with was an opal triplet that would never be the same. Only a very few people know about what happened and now you do, because I know you understand how devastated I was. I know two things: my husband was glad to see the smile back on my face and a good bench jeweler is literally worth their weight in gold.
My jewelry is now in a safe...a fireproof one.
im very happy the house didnt burn down !
i left a teatowel on the stove the other night and then turned on the wrong element -the one with the teatowl on, not the pot so i understand how accidents happen
i think you were very resourseful fixing the ones that you could yourself
and now all is good with the rings
all we need is some hand shots for the happy ending
but ewww that pawn shop doing a reside in different carrot gold
To start I have to say that I don't wear a lot of jewels. I mostly stick to a gold chain that's hidden behind a shirt or jumper and a silver ring. Most of the time I'd add a leather bracelet and a watch (for practical reasons, of course).
I'll start with the chain (a graduation present from my grandparents), which was followed by a 24k zodiac pendant as a birthday present. Thankfully, the chain is still in great condition, but the pendant needed a repair. Or rather - resetting. After wearing it for a few years, I realised that the casing in only gold-plated and worse than that - one of the protective glasses fell off (probably in the shower). So I took off the pendant and kept in in it's box for 2-3 years, only wearing the chain daily.
Last fall I had to go to my local jeweller because the ring was badly damaged (more on that later) and decided it's finally time to get the zodiac pendant fixed.
Initially, I wanted a redo of the original setting in gold, but he persuaded me that it would be more difficult, risky (because of the 24k disc) and expensive to make. What he suggested was a simple square frame with prongs to hold the zodiac disk in place. I wasn't sold on the idea and we spoke a bit more. Then I suggested a suspension loop in one of the corners for a lozenge shape. I'm happy to say he agreed and the work started. At fist I wasn't sure about the prongs and working with 14k, but the end result is lovely and the different hues of gold aren't that noticeable irl
A year ago yesterday I had an accident happen with my jewelry. It wasn't a fire but it was almost one. As it was, I had many of my rings with plastic melted onto them. To say I was sick is an understatement. After I gathered myself together and could think, I bought some jewelers tools, a lighted magnifier, a craft heat gun and got started. I made the mistake of telling the lady who works at the pawn shop what happened...that's where I purchased most of it, and she was of no help about where to take them for repairs, and when she mentioned it on a later visit my son made to the store, I just got really mad that she thought she had to say **anything** about it. No need to make me feel worse that I already did. He knew what had happened so it wasn't news to him. No telling who all she told......I haven't been in that store since then.
That's the backstory. Most of the pieces I was able to heat and pick the softened plastic off. Seven rings had damage to them or settings that were so intricate that I was going to have to see a jeweler to repair them. I happened upon a jewelry store in a neighboring town and took the rings in and talked to them about what needed to be done. He was very kind and said he could fix them, that he had people bring in jewelry that had been run over and the damage to mine was definitely fixable. In three weeks he had repaired them all, checked for any needed repairs that should be rectified such as previous resizing using 10 karat gold instead of the 14 karat gold that was the rest of the band....those re-sizes had been done at the pawn shop...one more reason I wouldn't go back. One needed a small diamond replaced, another needed a diamond put back into a setting...things like that. He simply asked, "So, you want these put back right?' My answer, "Absolutely....yes!" I never even asked how much it would cost. For the sum of $745 I had my rings back repaired, and looking great. The only one I had to do something extra with was an opal triplet that would never be the same. Only a very few people know about what happened and now you do, because I know you understand how devastated I was. I know two things: my husband was glad to see the smile back on my face and a good bench jeweler is literally worth their weight in gold.
My jewelry is now in a safe...a fireproof one.
To start I have to say that I don't wear a lot of jewels. I mostly stick to a gold chain that's hidden behind a shirt or jumper and a silver ring. Most of the time I'd add a leather bracelet and a watch (for practical reasons, of course).
I'll start with the chain (a graduation present from my grandparents), which was followed by a 24k zodiac pendant as a birthday present. Thankfully, the chain is still in great condition, but the pendant needed a repair. Or rather - resetting. After wearing it for a few years, I realised that the casing in only gold-plated and worse than that - one of the protective glasses fell off (probably in the shower). So I took off the pendant and kept in in it's box for 2-3 years, only wearing the chain daily.
Last fall I had to go to my local jeweller because the ring was badly damaged (more on that later) and decided it's finally time to get the zodiac pendant fixed.
Initially, I wanted a redo of the original setting in gold, but he persuaded me that it would be more difficult, risky (because of the 24k disc) and expensive to make. What he suggested was a simple square frame with prongs to hold the zodiac disk in place. I wasn't sold on the idea and we spoke a bit more. Then I suggested a suspension loop in one of the corners for a lozenge shape. I'm happy to say he agreed and the work started. At fist I wasn't sure about the prongs and working with 14k, but the end result is lovely and the different hues of gold aren't that noticeable irl
The second one is why I really had to go see my jeweller! I've had this ring for 4 years and he custom made it for me. It has a cool story that is somehow always associated with me travelling abroad. I picked up the original ring in base metal with painted onyx on top during a trip to Istanbul. I fell in love with the floral carvings (tulips are the national flower of Turkey) and decided that I'll have it remade in silver when I get back home. This was ready just before a trip to the UK, but my jeweller didn't have an onyx in the right size and shape in time for my trip, so we agreed that he'll use resin and replace it later on. Almost 4 years later and no one could tell the difference, so I kept it like that, although I knew I had to take it reset with an actual stone at some point.
The summer was on and one night I was out with a friend cycling in the dark when disaster happened - a bumped into a sign on the bike lane and my ring took the blow. It was smashed! I was bent so much, it took me about 10 minutes to get it off my finger. At some point I even thought I'll have to cut it open, so that blood can flow to my finger... I wasn't sure it could be repaired at all, so I sent a few pics to my jeweller for a quick opinion. Thankfully, the upper part was in good shape and he assured me it won't be an issue to fix it. That's when I also took the pendant to him. I mentioned I needed resizing and the resin ''stone'' and within a week I had both jewels fixed. I should mention he used a lovely shallow cabochon agate instead of a flat onyx, but that was agreed in advance. This was just in time for another business trip abroad.
A few weeks later I was out again before yet another trip (yes, I did travel a lot last year after Covid). It was raining and my bike slipped when I was trying to avoid a tree (my glasses were foggy), I fell and the ring had a close contact with the curb... Luckily, no damage to the setting, but there are a few scratches on the stone and still a few scars on my fingers to remind me of my experience.
I don't have pics of the fixed ring, but I'm sure you all know how a round shank looks
PS: Sorry for the long post.
Yay! Another decluttereset done. More jewelry that I rarely wore, consolidated into one ring. I had a rustic pink diamond from Etsy that I had set in rose gold. It was pretty but I have lots of rings and rarely wore that one. And then I had a set of tourmaline earrings that I got about twenty years ago and nearly never wore. They were sentimental, though, so I did not throw them out.
Before:
Well, I figured that the green tourmaline would set off the pink rustic diamond nicely, and they would all go great in rose gold, so I took them to my local jeweler who Stuck ‘Em in a Stuller. Result: cool new single piece that still might not get a whole lot of wear but will be put to more use than the three items that had been taking up space in the armoire. And the tourmalines glitter more than I ever remember them doing in the past.
After:
Size 6.5 for reference… I forgot the weight of the stones but the center is about 5.5mm and the sides are just a bit smaller, maybe 5mm. 10k rose gold.
Well, I have another decluttereset in the works. Then after that I am running into the problem of having a bunch of rocks that I collected for their differences and now don’t really match. Maybe I will post them here to get you folks’ ideas for how to consolidate them.
Thanks for looking!
Reclutteresat some jewelry from my father and my husband. I don’t wear a lot of pieces that consist mainly of melee. But it’s not like I’m going to throw out jewelry from my hubby and my dad. So my area jeweler took out all of the diamonds in these pices and made a necklace. Diamonds range from 4mm to 1.5mm, except for four tiny ones which I set in a small disk which you can see in the front. The necklace is 14k white gold, 17.5” with an inch extension. 9 old pieces — 4 earrings, 3 pendants, and 2 rings.
This necklace is so sentimental that I would like to wear it often. Anybody have experience with bezel station necklaces? Are they safe to wear every day?
On the end is a LGD from a middle finger ring that I liked… but I have so many rings, so why not make use of it here.
Thanks for looking. I have 2 more declutteresets in the queue plus two repairs. Thanks to @Daisys and Diamonds inspiration, I will have a lot less-but-more wearable jewelry by the end of the year.
I can post another thing So this is my grandmother's gold necklace. I think it's even older than I am. Anyway at some point awhile back it lost the clasp portion. And so it sat in my jewellery box for a few years. And one day I decided I would buy some silicone tipped pliers and some cheap jump rings and add one. I also had a plated magnetic clasp that worked because I had lost the clasp and not the other side. So until I can get a jeweller to do the real replacement of the non gold jump ring, and get me a non coated magnetic clasp in 14k, this will just have to do. I figure at least this way it gets some wear again
well done for making it wearable again
i bet grandma would be pleased
Because this thread continues to inspire me (thank you, @Daisys and Diamonds), today I took a big step and walked over to GIA on my lunch break and dropped off two diamonds for grading. According to their estimate, the grading reports should be ready in about two weeks, so I'll update you all then with the (hopefully good) results!