They are the pieces that you loved but they are no longer wearable. And rather than throw them out they they now live in the back of the drawer, or in your purse or glove compartment, because you hope that one day you'll find someone who can fix them.
You may find yourself wondering if it is even worth getting this sort of jewellery repaired (especially as sometimes the cost of repair or restoration can be more than might have been paid for the item in the first place). My answer is simply that if you like the item enough that you are haven't thrown it out and you still want to wear it, then yes, it is definitely worth getting it repaired.
Please note: I do not repair rings or fine jewellery (ie anything made of gold or other precious metals, or any jewellery set with gemstones).
For both bracelets and necklaces: materials include stringing medium, findings, clasps, and additional beads if required.
For repair techniques other than basic stringing methods: eg, if macrame, leather cord, crimp spacing, chain etc, repair fees are calculated on an hourly basis.
I no longer accept commission or remodelling work.
Almost every piece of jewellery that I repair requires some amount of cleaning. Sometimes, a quick wipe down (at no additional cost) is all that's needed, but often, and especially with older or frequently worn items (clip-on earrings and and beaded/pearl necklaces especially), there can be a signifcant accumulation of grime (body lotion, perfume, sweat, skin cells, food, etc) in both hidden (and not so hidden) places that needs to be removed before the repair can even begin.
And, because much of what comes to me for repair is old, fragile, or is in other ways not a suitable candidate for the ultrasonic cleaner, jewellery items often need to be cleaned by hand - which takes time. Sometimes it can take quite a bit of time - most often somewhere between 30 mins and 2 hours.
Depending on the age and degree of wear on a piece of costume jewellery, it is sometimes neither practical nor desirable to repair an old item of jewellery to an as-new condition. Instead I may choose to do a ‘sympathetic’ repair where the aim is simply to take your jewellery back to the way it looked prior to breaking. Sympathetic repairs may make use of second hand parts such as beads, chains, and clasps, or I may deliberately age the appearance of new parts in order to match what is already there. In all cases, a sympathetic repair will be just as strong as a regular repair, and the same guarantee will apply.
If any item I have repaired breaks again in the same place, or if any parts used in the repair are in any way defective, I will repair the item again at my expense - including the cost of postage.
Items to be repaired can either be couriered to me or dropped off in person.
Please let me know if you need help arranging a courier.
Every item being sent to me for repair MUST BE SENT BY COURIER, and NEVER BY POST (and putting a tracking sticker on a post bag doesn't turn it into a courier parcel)
Throughout most of the year, the wait time for repairs is approximately 4-8 weeks from the time the items arrive in the studio.
