How To Fix Broken Jewelry? 3 Common Jewelry Repair Tips You Should Know

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If you have plenty of fine jewelry, heirloom jewelry, or lovely costume jewelry at home, you may have thought: is it possible to make minor repairs yourself. Unfortunately, jewelry repair can be expensive, and shipping out broken jewelry is a hassle. But what if we tell you that you can perform standard maintenance at home with the help of simple tools that you can buy from craft shops or online?

Jewelry repair is not too complicated that you can’t learn it at home. You can repair broken jewelry with the proper skills. If you have attempted to create DIY jewelry before, there’s no reason why you can’t fix damaged jewelry. Whether it’s a necklace, choker, bracelet, or drop earrings, you can select jewelry if you know the basic steps.

Table of Contents

3 Common Jewelry Repair Tips

1. Repace Broken Clasps

The clasp is the locking mechanism for some necklaces and bracelets. It is often the first part of the jewelry because it experiences the most mechanical stress or movement. So whether the clasp is loose or gone, the solution is the same – the clasp will have to be replaced.

How to replace a jewelry clasp?

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To replace a clasp, you need a few jump rings, a replacement clasp suitable for the jewelry, a pair of flat nose or chain nose pliers, and if possible, get a figure-eight connector.

Use the pliers to remove the loose jump ring on the jewelry. Pull one end of the jump ring to the side (not away from the other end), so you can slip one end into the chain. Pinch the jump ring to close it.
You will attach the replacement clasp to the jump ring. After securing the new jump ring and clasp, proceed to the other end. If the jump ring is also loose, remove it and attach a new one. Make sure that when you pinch the jump ring, both ends are gapless and tight.
Finally, attach the figure-eight connector. The figure-eight connector goes into the new jump ring.

To make repairs easier, always have two pairs of pliers with you. One pair will stabilize jump rings, while the other moves one end to the side or closes it. This is a stabler setup compared to just pinching the jump ring with two fingers.

2. Restringing Beads

Sometimes, you are faced with more than just a simple repair. Beaded jewelry is notorious for falling apart or breaking apart suddenly. 100% of the time, the culprit is the string, which has become loose or fibrous. Metallic strings are no better as these also break at specific points due to mechanical stress. Do you throw away the beads? Never.

How to restring beads?

To restring a necklace, bracelet, or any jewelry with beads, you will need the right-sized beading wire, two pairs of pliers (chain nose or flat nose), beading crimps, a couple of wire cutters, and your choice of jewelry ends.

Begin the repair by measuring enough beading wire for your beads. You may want to lay the dots in the correct sequence on the table so you can see how much wire you need. Then, use a ruler to measure the wire.

After getting the correct measurement, measure twice the needed length and bend at the center. Pass the bent center through the beading crimp and create a small loop equivalent to an average jump ring size. Proceed to bead the wire in the sequence required.

After beading, the string, install the second beading crimp and secure the other end. You are then free to add your custom ends. Pick a strong clasp so you won’t have to make another repair soon if you wear the jewelry often.

3. Remaking Stretch Bracelets

Stretch bracelets are easy to make. Unfortunately, this jewelry type is also one of the easiest to give up on you when you wear them daily. Store-bought stretch bracelets rarely last for long because they are mass-produced and barely any attention to detail. If you are fond of one stretch bracelet and it exploded on you, don’t worry – there is a way to redo the stringing more durably.

Durability is number one when crafting jewelry because whether you are wearing pearls or plastic beads, you don’t want those beads flying away. So here are essential tips before stringing those beads with an elastic cord:

Don’t buy a cheap and thin elastic cord. These cords are hard to knot, and they are unreliable.
Use more durable cotton cords that stretch.
After measuring your wrist, add three inches to each side of the cord so you can knot the ends properly. Although it’s already hard to weave elastic thread, it will be nearly impossible to accomplish if there isn’t sufficient cord to tie.
Always pre-stretch any elastic cord before using it for jewelry. Failure to pre-stretch will likely result in a crooked piece of jewelry.
Always use a square knot to secure a stretch bracelet.
Do not use metal crimp beads on stretch bracelets. Eventually, any metal on the stretch bracelet will wear down the material, resulting in a cut.
Practice correct sizing. If the bracelet is loose, there won’t be sufficient tension to keep the knots knotted. On the other hand, just a little pressure will keep every part of the bracelet in the correct position.
Dab some E6000 jewelry glue on your knots and let these ends dry completely before wearing the refashioned jewelry. E6000 is designed for jewelry, so you will get the best results by using it.
Professional jewelers always cover their knots. Covered knots are then glued into one of the beads for additional strength. While the gluing is not 100% foolproof, it does add so much more protection than just the knots themselves.