Be it due to normal wear and tear, or a small accident, our fine jewelry needs a repair job every now and then. And this is best done by the professionals. So how do you select a reliable jeweler and make sure they do a good job? Follow these recommendations before you send your favorite jewelry for repair.
Tip 1
When choosing the jeweler, check with as many friends and relatives for local referrals. It is usually safe to pick the one most mentioned. Make an appointment with them and ask them concerning questions, especially on the servicing and repair procedures. If they can't give you good answers, better not leave your jewelry with them.
Tip 2
Check with the jeweler if they do the repair onsite. Some jewelers, especially the larger jewelry firms, send their repair jobs to a third party. Go for those jewelers that do their repairs onsite as this will reduce chances of miscommunication, work delays and not having control of the repair work.
Tip 3
Make sure that the repair prices quoted to you are based on a price book and not based on someone's memory. Who can you trust more - a jeweler that has taken the effort to research the work hours and materials needed and done a proper costing on paper or another that just gives you a price from his head? Also, cheap may not be good as the jeweler may be using inexpensive material for the repair.
Tip 4
To ensure your instructions have been understood and recorded correctly, you have to look carefully at the jeweler's receipt procedures. Check that the following has been noted down: drawings, descriptions and instructions. And make sure everything is per what had been discussed. Checking of the documentation is important as the wrong communication can often cause failure in the repair.
Tip 5
See if the jeweler can provide you pictures showing how the piece will be repaired. Or if your piece requires a part to be added, what your piece will look like after the part is attached.
Just remember the above few points when looking for a jeweler to repair your fine jewelry and you can have a better peace of mind. It's better to be extra careful especially with your favorite jewelry pieces.
