The emotional roller coaster of a journey of jewellery repair and restoration

[Avondale]

It's time to tell the story of what happened to my flower-that-sometimes-looks-like-a-snowflake ring.

Our tale begins on a sunny Sunday afternoon in January when a friend and I took a stroll around a nearby lake and afterwards, when we got back in town, sat to eat in restaurant.

It was all my fault, really. I was careless and distracted. Usually I'm very mindful when wearing this ring, I always turn it facing my palm when I'm taking clothes with sleeves off (or putting them on). It's a delicate design, after all, and when you insist on pointy petals, you have to live with the risk of snagging on fabrics.

But this time I was distracted. I was focused on the conversation, getting in my chair, taking my jacket off, didn't rotate the ring... the elastic sleeve (it's a ski jacket) caught on the ring, I didn't notice in time, I pulled my arm out of the sleeve, yanked on the ring sharply... and the petal folded.

It didn't look terrible. It was just... round. Which to me was terrible.

But it wasn't that bad, really.

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Anyway, that very same evening I popped to a jeweller that's a ten minute walk from home that I've used before to ask if the metal could be bent back into its original shape. He looked at it and said there's very little space between the prong and the tip of the petal. A possible option would be to remove the stone, move the prong in order to make room, straighten the tip and then put everything back together. I decided to think on it.

Maybe it would've been best if I was just able to live with it. If it didn't matter that much, if I could just continue happily wearing it. But I couldn't. It was like a shard of glass in my eye, completely unreasonable, I know, but even now, just looking at the picture, I'm... ugh.

Anyway, about two weeks later I returned. My biggest mistake, really, but how was I to know what would happen? I handed the ring and said I was there recently, and I want to discuss a possible repair. Mostly, is the jeweller convinced and confident this repair can be carried out successfully. Because if there was a risk of further deformity, I did not want to proceed, I'd prefer not to take that risk and rather just keep it as is.

He took it behind the counter and it seemed he was examining it under magnification. It's a tall counter, you can't really see behind it. We were talking and discussing some ideas I had for other jewellery, you know how these conversations go. And then, before I could steer the topic back to the repair and discuss the risks related to removing a stone and manipulating a prong, I suddenly hear a drill. He had started working on the ring without a plan put in place, without discussion, without me placing the order.

During the first few seconds I didn't even realise what was going on. Then I asked, have you started working on the ring? And then it was a mixture of bewilderment, not wanting to cause a scene, and thinking, well, maybe upon second examination he decided he can do it without removing the stone. But then he kept drilling, and I asked what he was doing, and he said he was working on shaping the milgrain, and then handed it to me and... oh dear god.

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I only took two pictures of the ring in that state. They're not the best, but I couldn't bring myself to photograph it any further. It was mangled. Chewed up. The entire petal was deformed and smashed, as if he'd squeezed it with pliers. The tip of the petal was just.. roughly shaved off, the metal was ragged to the touch. Milgrain removed. Just... a massacre. I'm getting pissed all over again just remembering the details.

 

[Avondale]

I took back the ring and left, and resolved to never set foot there again (and no, I did not pay a cent). Afterwards my husband called and gave the jeweller a piece of his mind about the absolute travesty that had occurred, but that wasn't going to fix what was already damaged.

And fixing the damage was my priority. My first, instinctive response was to write to Nutellakitty and ask if the ring can be remade entirely. I'd send it back, have her cast it all over again, put the stones into their new setting, send to me. Unfortunately, the cost of the exercise, all expenses accounted for, amounted to over 2/3 of the ring's original cost. My husband, being the only one seeing reason at that point, convinced me to wait a little bit and just ask around. We live in a big town, let's check first if there's someone who does jewellery restoration. Get a second opinion. And considering I'd rather spend my money with Nutellakitty on new jewellery (I have an idea for earrings and I want to work with her on them, but it probably won't happen this year), I agreed.

Over the next couple of days we called and saw numerous jewellers. I was lucky enough that they were all honest about what they could do, which, for most, wasn't much - mostly polish it off, but that was about it. Of all the places we contacted, only two knew what milgrain even was, to my great amazement. One of them told me straight up I'd have great difficulty, to the point of impossibility even, finding someone who can restore milgrain. But the other one was less pessimistic.

Funny thing is, that place mainly deals in watches. Jewellery is secondary to them. But they had the right jeweller - just one single guy, but the right one. He knew the technique. He knew the tools needed. He said, we can order them, and we can add metal back to the ring using a laser, and we'll be able to restore the tip of the petal. He gave me different options for the repair at different price points, explained what they were and the result I might expect from them. I chose full restoration and left the ring with them. That was on the 6th of February.

The repair was supposed to take about a week, but nothing is ever so simple. A couple of days later they called to tell me their supplier didn't have the necessary tools in stock. They'd get in contact to learn more, but in the meantime, I had a choice whether to leave the ring with them or take it and then bring it back. I decided to leave it.

Then, another several days later, they called me again with bad news. The supplier had responded they had no intention of restocking said tools again. They couldn't buy them, therefore they couldn't perform the repair.

Now, while that was definitely a low moment, I had been through worse. After a brief discussion with my husband I called and suggested that I supplied the tools. After all, they were a big business, bound by internal policies and acceptable suppliers. I was not. I could buy the tools from wherever and whomever in the world I wanted, and pay for them as much as I pleased, just as long as their jeweller would agree to work with whatever I supplied. And he did agree.

I have to give credit where credit is due. The communication with this repair centre was excellent. They gave me detailed information and instructions on what tools to look for and buy. They were available to answer all my questions, and I had plenty. Over the span of the week I learned more about milgrain tools than many jewellers, judging by my very recent experience. Sizes, manufacturers, indentation shapes and what not.

The crazy part was I could not find the damned things almost anywhere in the EU. Amazon only had cheap Chinese stuff that couldn't be trusted. I found one German online store that sold them at double price and double cost of shipping. It was legitimately cheaper to buy from the US. I cannot explain how tools manufactured in France are more readily available in the US, but there you have it.

I found a supplier who had all three sizes the jeweller needed in stock (Gesswein, for anyone wondering). Coordinated with the jeweller to confirm, then made an account with the supplier, placed the order, paid the bill and next day I received a confirmation email... that one of the sizes had to be backordered. I kid you not, it turned out they had run out, so they had to have it delivered from the EU to the US so that they could then deliver it from the US back to the EU, to me. Talk about levels of absurdity.

Eventually the tools arrived. Did I mention I had managed to find the exact make and model the local supplier had stopped carrying? I'm that good. In case you ever wonder what milgrain tools look like, here they are:

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Tiny, I know. They're mine, btw. The jeweller returned them to me together with the ring. At the very least I won't ever have to struggle with finding someone who can do milgrain again.

 

[Avondale]

And this bring us to the closing of our story. The jeweller did deliver on his promise. He managed to build the tip up with metal, recreate the pointy shape and add the milgrain. The differences between the milgrain added by hand and the one that was originally cast are only visible under a loupe. Sadly, the deformity on the side of the petal could not be fully straightened out, only partially. In that regard, he gave me the honesty I expected from the first jeweller and told me that, no, he could not reliably manipulate the shape any more without risking further damage.

And in the end, it's really not noticeable. When the repair centre sent me pictures (they were kind like that, not making me wait to get there to see it), they even misidentified the repaired petal and sent a bunch of close ups to the one on the opposite side. A friend of mine spent a whole minute examining it in person before she could notice the difference. PSers' keen eyes were zooming in on magnified photos and could not see it.

So I realise literally everyone else wouldn't know a thing if I never said it. But still, hearing it from people was immensely helpful, as has been writing it all out just now. It took some time to process and for a while, especially in the beginning, I still had the image of the shaved off, ragged tip in my mind, just burned into my memory. But I've come to a point where I, too, barely notice it. And what's most important to me, I can now wear it again and enjoy it. Just in time for summer, as this ring loves the sun.

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[YadaYadaYada]

They really did a fantastic job restoring the petal, so sorry it was such a rollercoaster getting there though. Finding a good jeweler has been painful in my experience and made even more so because people can’t just be honest about their abilities. Thank God you found the right person to work on this ring.

 

[stracci2000]

I can't believe the first jeweler that looked at your ring didn't just bend the petal tip back up with gentle pressure.
I'm just a hobbyist, but that seems like an easy fix.
The milgrain was still intact and could've been left undisturbed.

 

[Rfisher]

Kudos to you on persevering. Emotional journey for sure!

The original jeweler probably thought it was their good deed of the day and it’s true what they say - the road to hell being paved with good intentions and all. Doesn't excuse the fact they went ahead without fully discussing first - that’s not asking for much! And yeah - they really mangled it, yikes. I was just envisioning some tool marks and waves on the curve before I saw your pictures. Not like they chewed a piece off. Dang.

It’s a lovely ring and it looks gorgeous on you!
Team pointy- even if it takes some repeated statements of want - lol

It’s hard to remember even 14k can be this easily malleable. In daily wear or a too vigorous polishing.

Edit - what a lovely new jeweler you have found. Kudos to them as well!

 

[Dreamer_D]

Gosh! Harrowing. And I’m so glad it worked out in the end. The repair looks great.

This story makes me think about all the different fabrication methods for rings. That is a very delicate fabrication, the way the petals don’t have support under them, which is why they can catch and bend. Another method would be to cast a floral shape from a solid piece of gold and hand carve the areas for the stones and apply the milgrain. This would leave a sturdy base under the flower and make it inflexible. This is how CRD makes their floral designs. It isn’t as delicate looking but there are pluses and minuses to every fabrication method I guess. I can definitely see the attraction of delicacy!

I hope you wear her for many more years with no more issues at all!!

 

[ItsMainelyYou]

I can't believe the first jeweler that looked at your ring didn't just bend the petal tip back up with gentle pressure.
I'm just a hobbyist, but that seems like an easy fix.
The milgrain was still intact and could've been left undisturbed.

I was feeling crazy because that's immediately what I thought. Just a gentle pull would do it.

This shouldn't have been this hard for you. I'm so happy that things worked out @Avondale, it is a beautiful ring.

The jewelry world needs more skilled restorers.

 

[Catmom]

I'm so glad this repair worked out for you and can't imagine how you felt after your ring was mangled.

 

[Ibrakeforpossums]

Have you renamed that ring?

 

[oncrutchesrightnow]

Wow, that was a lot to go through. Kudos for the expert jeweler who engaged you in discussion. Some jewelers aren’t really that skilled; others are used to customers who can’t tell or don’t care about craftsmanship. Someone who excels at their craft would be happy to talk details with a dedicated customer. You paid for expertise. The ring looks lovely; there is some variation in all the petals so in the end everything fits in just fine.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

And this bring us to the closing of our story. The jeweller did deliver on his promise. He managed to build the tip up with metal, recreate the pointy shape and add the milgrain. The differences between the milgrain added by hand and the one that was originally cast are only visible under a loupe. Sadly, the deformity on the side of the petal could not be fully straightened out, only partially. In that regard, he gave me the honesty I expected from the first jeweller and told me that, no, he could not reliably manipulate the shape any more without risking further damage.

And in the end, it's really not noticeable. When the repair centre sent me pictures (they were kind like that, not making me wait to get there to see it), they even misidentified the repaired petal and sent a bunch of close ups to the one on the opposite side. A friend of mine spent a whole minute examining it in person before she could notice the difference. PSers' keen eyes were zooming in on magnified photos and could not see it.

So I realise literally everyone else wouldn't know a thing if I never said it. But still, hearing it from people was immensely helpful, as has been writing it all out just now. It took some time to process and for a while, especially in the beginning, I still had the image of the shaved off, ragged tip in my mind, just burned into my memory. But I've come to a point where I, too, barely notice it. And what's most important to me, I can now wear it again and enjoy it. Just in time for summer, as this ring loves the sun.

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im so glad she is fixed
its a beautiful ring,
what a horrible experience with that first place

 

[RMOO]

I'm glad the repair turned out so well. And now that you have unburdened yourself with the story, I hope you can enjoy her and all her beauty fully. It really is a gorgeous ring!

 

[Autumn in New England]

What an emotional journey! I was on the edge of my seat hoping for the result you eventually received. The initial damage didn't concern me too badly... I felt like it would be a minimally invasive fix. But after seeing that beautiful ring mangled, I was nauseous. That you wouldn't stop until you found those tools, and that ring was tip top, reminds me very much of myself... we're kindreds. Your ring looks as good as new and I'm just so relieved and pleased for you!!

 

[Autumn in New England]

I feel like we need to buy you a drink after all that!

 

[Slickk]

Wow! I’m so happy that you were able to furnish the tools, find someone capable of actually using them and that it’s now restored!! Phew! That’s some rollercoaster ride for sure. But for such a beautiful ring that now has a history all her own, it is worth it!!

 

[diamondyes]

I know what it’s like to go through that kind of emotional jewelry trauma!

Ultimately I get to a place where I see the piece as like my own self: imperfect, yet still beautiful.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

i dont remember if i was team pointed or team rounded, but i sure am not team mangled
your poor ring's story haunted me all day
but all is well now and it just becomes a part of her history, like a broken leg now thankfully mended

 

[Bron357]

My goodness, what a journey.
I know only too well that feeling in your stomach when you realise you have done damage to a special piece.
You were very restrained dealing with the first jeweller, i think you were in shock that someone could do something so ludicrous.
But your beautiful ring has been restored and can now bring you future joy.

 

[LightBright]

I can’t see the attachments, but I really love this story. Im glad you are reunited with your beautiful ring, I LOVE Nutella Kitty’s jewelry.

PS You also might want to gift the tools to that jeweler who restored your ring, or to a local jewelry making school, or to a favorite craftsperson so they don’t sit idle.

 

[Avondale]

I can’t see the attachments

Oh dear, now that won't do. I'm reuploading them and I'll ask admin to edit the original posts.

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I'll start replying to everyone next.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

its a bit like medical misadventure
its such a beautiful ring, very origional for a flower shaped ring
im so glad you could get it restored to its former glory

 

[Avondale]

people can’t just be honest about their abilities

Yes! And I just don't get the logic behind it! Why not just tell me it's not a job you can complete? I'll still use you for the basic stuff, resizing, maintenance and what not, simply due to how convenient it is to have a jewellery shop a mere 10 minute walk away. Now they've lost me as a client instead.

I can't believe the first jeweler that looked at your ring didn't just bend the petal tip back up with gentle pressure.
I'm just a hobbyist, but that seems like an easy fix.
The milgrain was still intact and could've been left undisturbed.

I was feeling crazy because that's immediately what I thought. Just a gentle pull would do it.

The initial damage didn't concern me too badly... I felt like it would be a minimally invasive fix.

That is what I thought at first, or at least what I hoped. Surely it shouldn't be that impossible to bend the metal back into shape, right? But I'm not a jeweller, after all, I don't know anything about manipulating metal. @stracci2000, seeing your pieces get me wishing, every single time, to take up silversmithing as a hobby. Oh, how much I could learn if I did! Then I ground myself back to earth because I don't have the room. Yarn takes up all my free space.

 

[Avondale]

The original jeweler probably thought it was their good deed of the day

You know what, I think that very easily might've been the case. Sadly it's a whole lot of hot air under pressure and no foundation.

It’s hard to remember even 14k can be this easily malleable. In daily wear or a too vigorous polishing.

Yes, and I usually opt for 14k precisely because it's more capable of standing up to daily wear and abuse. But, to be fair, that was one hell of a quality made strong jacket sleeve.

This story makes me think about all the different fabrication methods for rings. That is a very delicate fabrication, the way the petals don’t have support under them, which is why they can catch and bend. Another method would be to cast a floral shape from a solid piece of gold and hand carve the areas for the stones and apply the milgrain. This would leave a sturdy base under the flower and make it inflexible. This is how CRD makes their floral designs. It isn’t as delicate looking but there are pluses and minuses to every fabrication method I guess. I can definitely see the attraction of delicacy!

This reminds me that I've been meaning to start a new thread in Hangout for a while now. Youtube is full of videos of jewellers hand forging rings and recording the process. They may not be as delicate, but they are still very much elegant.

What can I say, with this particular one, it was just a love at first sight with something already ready made. Do you know when the last time was when I liked and bought something ready made? Cause I definitely don't remember!

 

[Avondale]

I'm so glad this repair worked out for you and can't imagine how you felt after your ring was mangled.

Ugh... I don't even want to remember. Terribly anxious and heartbroken. But on the other hand, it wasn't too bad... so many other bad things can and do happen in life, irreversible, much more terrible, you know? No one gets away with no trouble, but as long as the problems are fixable, I can live with it.

Have you renamed that ring?

I know that "flower-that-sometimes-looks-like-a-snowflake" is a mouthful, but what can I do? It did look like a snowflake in the winter! Now it's spring and it looks like a flower.

Someone who excels at their craft would be happy to talk details with a dedicated customer.

Yes, so much yes. It's the same principle I like to apply when dealing with my own clients. A well informed client is a happy client, that is one hill I am prepared to die on. I so very much dislike working with people who leave me in the dark and just do their own thing. Hello? I'm not stupid? If you explain the things to me, I will understand them and discuss them with you!

 

[Avondale]

im so glad she is fixed

So am I, Daisy, so am I. It would've been a terrible shame for her to be left destroyed. To be honest, if I hadn't managed to find a jeweller to perform the restoration, I probably would've forked the $$$$ to have her remade entirely. Even though from a financial standpoint that would've been an unwise decision.

I'm glad the repair turned out so well. And now that you have unburdened yourself with the story, I hope you can enjoy her and all her beauty fully. It really is a gorgeous ring!

She's barely left my finger since I got her back, I can tell you that!

What an emotional journey! I was on the edge of my seat hoping for the result you eventually received.

Well, at least it made for an interesting and engaging read, or so I hope.

reminds me very much of myself... we're kindreds.

We also share a profession, if I recall yours correctly.

I feel like we need to buy you a drink after all that!

I'll tell you what I need. I need those emojis of yours! I need them so that I can upload them to the emojis thread for everyone else to use, so that I can then fill my posts with them. I miss the years when forum boards were more popular. Those were the emoji days.

 

[Avondale]

Wow! I’m so happy that you were able to furnish the tools, find someone capable of actually using them and that it’s now restored!! Phew! That’s some rollercoaster ride for sure. But for such a beautiful ring that now has a history all her own, it is worth it!!

Yes, she has been on a journey, for sure. I'd appreciate it if she stayed safe from now on, though. We're fans of the boring life here.

I'm still bewildered that so many local jewellers ended up being entirely unfamiliar with milgrain. It's not even something difficult and complex. The tool just has a teeeeeny tiny wheel at the end of it, and you just... you know, glide it over the metal, several times, and it shapes the milgrain. All by hand, very simple. After all, it's such an old technique.

I know what it’s like to go through that kind of emotional jewelry trauma!

Ultimately I get to a place where I see the piece as like my own self: imperfect, yet still beautiful.

This is a very... serene way of looking at it. I like it. Yes, people go through turmoil and emerge from it, often carrying the signs of the trauma, but no less valuable or important because of it.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

So am I, Daisy, so am I. It would've been a terrible shame for her to be left destroyed. To be honest, if I hadn't managed to find a jeweller to perform the restoration, I probably would've forked the $$$$ to have her remade entirely. Even though from a financial standpoint that would've been an unwise decision.



She's barely left my finger since I got her back, I can tell you that!



Well, at least it made for an interesting and engaging read, or so I hope.



We also share a profession, if I recall yours correctly.



I'll tell you what I need. I need those emojis of yours! I need them so that I can upload them to the emojis thread for everyone else to use, so that I can then fill my posts with them. I miss the years when forum boards were more popular. Those were the emoji days.

on my Springsteen forum we have a hug reaction 'like thingy' it sure comes in handy when 'like' just doesnt feel appropreate

 

[Avondale]

i dont remember if i was team pointed or team rounded, but i sure am not team mangled

You probably would've been wiser than me and left it with 1/8 from team round. But team pointy's got its hold on my heart. And, judging by how many sisters my ring already has, I'd guess I'm not the only one.

I know only too well that feeling in your stomach when you realise you have done damage to a special piece.

Instant, deep regret. Wishing you could turn back time. Blaming yourself for being so stupid and careless. You know, a mere couple days after I'd gotten it back, I brushed it against the edge of my desk. It's a rounded edge, and the desk is made of soft wood, so nothing happened, but my heart sank and the ring went straight back in its box.

You were very restrained dealing with the first jeweller, i think you were in shock that someone could do something so ludicrous.

I try to be restrained as a general rule because I believe more often than not it will yield better results, but maybe I should've been less restrained this time. Maybe I should've caused a scene. Maybe if I had, the damage wouldn't have been so extensive. Sigh. Could've would've should've.

PS You also might want to gift the tools to that jeweler who restored your ring, or to a local jewelry making school, or to a favorite craftsperson so they don’t sit idle.

It's a nice thought, but I am going to be selfish with them. On one hand, these tools aren't unattainable. The local supplier stopped carrying half the sizes not because they can't supply them but because there's no interest in them. On the other, I don't believe there's a jewellery making school anywhere here, and I don't have a favourite jeweller right now. I have one guy who works at one place, and if he moves, or retires, I no longer have anyone. Besides, the repair centre said they're looking into ways to supply tools for him from a different source for future needs.

If I just give them away, next time I need milgrain work done, I'm back to square one. And it's not like they were cheap, delivery and VAT accounted for. I can't be buying new sets of tools every time I need a repair or a piece of jewellery made. Just lending them to be used in the meantime is also not a solid option, because with time they sustain wear and tear and eventually break. So I'll hold on to them and provide them to whoever I'm working with on a case by case basis.

 

[stracci2000]

Yes! And I just don't get the logic behind it! Why not just tell me it's not a job you can complete? I'll still use you for the basic stuff, resizing, maintenance and what not, simply due to how convenient it is to have a jewellery shop a mere 10 minute walk away. Now they've lost me as a client instead.








That is what I thought at first, or at least what I hoped. Surely it shouldn't be that impossible to bend the metal back into shape, right? But I'm not a jeweller, after all, I don't know anything about manipulating metal. @stracci2000, seeing your pieces get me wishing, every single time, to take up silversmithing as a hobby. Oh, how much I could learn if I did! Then I ground myself back to earth because I don't have the room. Yarn takes up all my free space.

But your yarn creations are fabulous! And it brings you joy. If you can create amazing yarn critters, then you can learn metalsmithing, too! It's all artistic talent and desire.