Why You Should Use a Professional for All Your Jewellery Repair Needs
If you own any type of jewellery that needs cleaning or repairs, you want to avoid doing this work yourself. Store-bought cleaning fluids and cloths and even an online tutorial cannot substitute for the expertise of a professional jeweller. Note why you should always leave jewellery repair to professionals for any piece of jewellery you own, but especially for something very expensive and very intricate.
Holders
The stones added to fine jewellery are usually kept in place by small holders that are often more delicate than you might realize. Bending or scratching one of these holders can allow that stone to come loose and even fall out of your ring or necklace or other such piece. On the other hand, those holders often trap dirt, dust, clothing fibres and other debris, and they need to be cleaned thoroughly in order to protect the metal and stone of the jewellery piece.
A professional jeweller will have the right tools for cleaning jewellery holders without damaging them and will inspect those holders carefully to note if they need repair or even replacement. This will ensure the stones of a jewellery piece are as secure as possible.
Damage
Obviously you can scratch fine jewellery pieces by using rough cloths or hard-bristled brushes to clean them, but even using what you assume are the "correct" tools and cleaning materials can damage fine jewellery. Many cleaning solutions are meant for certain metals and stones in particular, and using those cleansers on something more delicate might mean scratching jewellery metal or making a stone cloudy and dull.
If stones are glued into place, a harsh cleaning solution might also cause that glue to break down and lose its adhesion. In turn, a stone might come loose or fall out of a jewellery piece altogether.
It's also easy to get the edges of prongs and other such holders caught on your clothing or a cleaning tool, bending them out of place. This can mean risking the loss of a stone in the piece. To avoid this, have the piece cleaned by a professional who will have the tools and solutions needed for each type of jewellery metal and stone.
Value
The damage caused by improper cleaning solutions and tools can lower the value of your jewellery piece; in some cases, the piece may become virtually worthless! On the other hand, having a jewellery piece inspected, cleaned and repaired by a professional will help to maintain its value over the years.
