How To Repair Silver Chain

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Silver jewelry is a peachy alternative to gold jewelry. It is cheaper, simply still sturdy and visually appealing. Merely, silver jewelry needs care and keeping just like any other precious metal, and is just every bit likely to demand repairs at some bespeak. Repairing and cleaning silvery jewelry is a chip more difficult than dealing with gold, and then information technology volition accept a fleck more care and possibly the help of a jeweler.

1. 1

   Get ii pairs of flat nose pliers. Y'all can buy these for relatively cheap at your local hardware store. You can also buy a jewelry repair kit from a hobby store, which will come with special pliers and tools needed for repair. Just brand sure you get a pair of flat nose pliers that are small enough to handle smaller pieces of jewelry.^[i]

   • If you're buying the pliers on their own rather than as role of a kit, you'll need two pairs in order to hold each end of the broken clasp.

2. 2

   Purchase a new clasp, and actress jump rings. Since your squeeze is broken, y'all'll need to buy a new one to adhere on your jewelry. Get a argent plated clasp and a few jump rings, or connector rings, in gild to secure the squeeze to your jewelry. Yous can purchase these supplies online, or you can find them at a local hobby or crafting shop.^[2]

   • You can buy clasps and jump rings in all different kinds of cloth. They'll most likely be plated in silver rather than fabricated from silver.

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3. 3

   Open the jump rings and remove the erstwhile clasp. Using the flat olfactory organ pliers, grip the ring connecting the squeeze to the chain or string. There should be a slit in the ring where it does not fully connect; grip information technology on either side of this slit. Pull one mitt towards you and push one hand away, separating the two sides. Slide off the old clasp.^[iii]

   • Make sure you don't pull the spring ring outward. This will only bend the band and brand it very difficult to get information technology dorsum into its normal shape.

4. 4

   Add the new jump rings and clasp. Remove any jump rings that may exist damaged or broken and replace them. Then, on the final jump ring, hook the new clasp on before endmost the ring. Make certain the bound rings are closed and secure.^[4]

   • If you're having problem seeing the clasp and jump rings, consider purchasing a hands-complimentary magnifying glass. This will aid y'all see what y'all're doing merely still keep your hands free to piece of work.

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1. 1

   Use a difficult silver solder. Yous want to make sure you buy a hard solder and non a soft solder. A soft solder will not work with silvery jewelry, and may really impairment it farther. Yous can purchase hard silver solder online, or from a local hardware store.^[5]

   • You tin choose to buy solder wire, or sheets. The sheets are generally cheaper, and will let you lot to cut the size you demand.

2. ii

   Apply a soldering torch. Soft solder can be soldered with a soldering iron, which is electric. Hard solder must exist soldered with a torch, with is powered by gas. Butane torches are useful for standard jewelry repair jobs like fixing spring rings and reattaching small-scale chains.^[6]

   • Always handle soldering torches carefully. Wear protective gloves and brand sure yous are in a room with adept ventilation to avoid inhaling any fumes.

3. three

   Use flux when soldering. Flux cleans the metallic prior to soldering so that it can bail and melt properly. Employ a liquid flux to coat the surface you're soldering before beginning. You lot tin can too buy flux sprays made specifically for hard soldering, and for working with silver.

   • Difficult soldering might also require pickling after being soldered, in gild to clean it. You can purchase separate pickling liquid, or you can even use a flux that is cocky-pickling.
   • Brush flux onto the articulation or surface you plan to solder before applying the solder.

4. 4

   Employ the torch to solder the silver pieces. If you lot are soldering ii pieces together, for example, place the solder wire confronting the spot you demand to solder. Suit the torch to its highest temperature setting, and heat the wire until information technology melts. In one case it melts, it volition bring together with the silver slice you lot're repairing or bonding with some other piece.

   • Afterwards soldering, you lot will desire to rinse the newly repaired or joined piece in water, so pickle it to clean it if the flux you used wasn't self-pickling.

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1. one

   Take your silver jewelry to a jeweler if you need it resized. Resizing silver jewelry is much more hard and time consuming than resizing gold. When melting downwards the silvery to resize information technology, it gets very dirty through oxidization. A jeweler will exist able to make sure the piece returns to its previous shiny country afterwards resizing.

   • Keep in mind that if you lot have a silver ring with a rock in information technology, some jewelers may tell you it can't be resized without taking the whole band apart. Silver conducts oestrus through the entire ring, making it difficult to resize when there is a stone setting on the slice.

2. 2

   Consider that silver jewelry repair may take longer and price more than golden. Even though the silver itself is less valuable per ounce compared to gold, information technology is fourth dimension consuming to repair. A jeweler might price the piece of work at a high rate simply because of how long it is going to take them to repair the slice and so shine information technology dorsum to its normal coloring.

3. 3

   Await for a jeweler who has a laser welding machine. Laser welding is the safest mode to resize and work on silver, as it won't harm the metal the style traditional torch welding volition. Laser welding will let a jeweler to resize a silvery band with a stone on information technology, for case, when the same couldn't be washed with traditional torch welding.^[vii]

   • A light amplification by stimulated emission of radiation welding motorcar can cost upwardly of $20,000, then smaller, independent jewelers might be less likely to ain or have access to one.

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1. 1

   Use a special silver polishing textile. These cloths are made specifically for cleaning and polishing silverish. They don't crave whatsoever liquid cleaner or polishing agent. Just use the fabric to gently vitrify away tarnish and restore the jewelry to its natural shine.^[eight]

2. 2

   Avert using dips and polishing agents. Liquid polishing agents and dips are harsh chemicals that could damage plated silver. They need to be used in very well-ventilated areas, equally well, as the smell could be hazardous to your health. You lot also may take to dispose of these chemicals carefully, equally they are considered hazardous.^[9]

   • These heavy-duty cleaners can also cause your jewelry to tarnish more than quickly, as they could strip the protective surface off.

3. iii

   Use a homemade silverish cleaner. If the polishing cloth doesn't practice the play tricks, you tin try using things from your kitchen to make clean your silver jewelry. A little bit of phosphate-free dishwashing soap and warm water, for example, could aid.^[10] Or, try using a paste made from blistering soda and h2o. Apply a small dollop (about the size of a pea) to your jewelry and use it to buff away tarnish.^[11]

   • E'er rinse your jewelry after using whatsoever kind of polish, homemade or otherwise. Rinse information technology briefly, then dry information technology with a clean cloth. You lot don't want any polish to get stuck on the jewelry anywhere and harden.

4. iv

   Exist careful when cleaning silver jewelry that contains precious gemstones. Certain gemstones may crave special attention when cleaning. If your silver jewelry contains fragile pieces like pearl, you will want to make sure you lot only use cleaning or polishing agents that are safe for these parts of the jewelry.^[12]

5. five

   Repair shallow scratches by buffing with regular toothpaste. Put a little bit of toothpaste on a cloth. Later on wetting downwards the piece of silver jewelry, rub the toothpaste gently into it using circular motions. Rinse the jewelry again. If the scratch is all the same at that place, repeat the procedure. If the scratch doesn't get away subsequently a few tries, it may need to be taken to a jeweler for repair.

   • Don't use toothpaste that is for tartar control or has a whitening agent. These ingredients are as well abrasive and may really stop up damaging the silvery.

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• When in uncertainty, seek the advice of a professional person jeweler.

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