Laser Jewelry Repair
Lasers: not just for the military and mad scientists any more!
When you hear laser you probably think of blowing things up (all you sci-fi people) or high tech scientific experiments or even crazy villains trying to take over the world with a “laser”. One of the last things you think a laser can do is to work on your intricate jewelry. Well, laser technology is making it possible to work on jewelry that once was impossible to fix or too costly to fix. Now Arden Jewelers has a powerful laser to repair our customer’s jewelry.
Lasers can repair an antique enameled pin without damaging the enamel or leaving visible signs of the restoration work. Our laser can fix jewelry without removing the stones or running the risk of solder flowing into the hinge and destroying its mobility. Antique filigree that is broken can be repaired. Restoring antique platinum jewelry is now possible with Arden Jewelers’ laser. The laser can also help Angelo create very complicated pieces and diamond intensive pieces in his designer lines and custom jewelry.
Now some basics, what is a laser? LASER is an acronym for “Light Amplification by the Stimulated Emission of Radiation” which produces a sharp, focused light beam. The benefit of the laser is that very little heat is generated at the weld point. This means the heat will not damage the surrounding area. The jewelry’s intricate design and gems which are heat sensitive are safe from the heat with a laser.
What type of metals can be laser welded? All the traditional metals can be laser welded, including base metals, karat gold, sterling silver, palladium and platinum, offering a complete array of design, redesigns and repair options. Platinum traditionally is the most difficult metal to work on; the laser has rendered platinum much easier to repair and can be used to create new designs.
Inexpensive jewelry that has great sentimental value but could not be fixed at any price in the past can now be fixed with a laser.
The amazing thing is the laser is simply a beam of light. The laser beam can adjust the diameter of the laser beam’s focus and the duration of the blast of concentrated light, as well as voltage used and number of pulses per second. All this gives the master jeweler the ability to use the laser with the skill of a micro surgeon. The laser gives our jewelers the precision he needs to work around our customer’s jewelry treasures. Arden jewelers can cut with the laser, weld two pieces of precious metal together, or do fill-in work to smooth out gaps and rough spots. The work is so smooth that even an expert can’t detect the repair work once it is polished. The weld joints created by the laser are stronger than traditional solder.
The laser uses extremely focused heat and the weld can be extremely strong. The laser weld created is also extremely durable and long lasting. Arden Jewelers now offers this new laser technology to ensure that we are able to do the very best work for our clients.
can you guys fix my 17 Million thousand, dollar ring
Absolutely! Bring it by the shop anytime. There is a small, $200,000 surcharge when we work on rings over $15 million, but I’m sure that won’t be a problem. 🙂
My son’s great uncle, a fighter pilot in Vietnam, gave my son his Air Force ring which was manufactured by Crest Craft. It is of great sentimental value to my son, who is in the Air Force ROTC. Unfortunately, the stone is missing from the ring. I would love to have the stone replaced but I’m having no luck since Crest Craft sold their jewelry business over 20 years ago. I have followed the transfer of the business to 2 different companies but have reached a dead end. The big class ring companies like Josten’s and Balfour will not take it in for repair since it was not made by them. I was told by my local jeweler that there is a special process for replacing the stones in these rings because of the bezel mount and that it is easy to crack or explode the stone if not done correctly. Any chance your laser technology would work for this kind of repair?
Hi Diane, thanks for reaching out to us. It’s really uplifting to see how much effort you’ve gone through to restore this ring for your son. Class rings like that are indeed tricky to repair, so I think our best first step would be to see a picture of the ring. Would it be possible for you to email us a picture of it here: service@mygemologist.com? Once we know what we’re dealing with, we can give you a lot better guidance. If you could also let us know the names of the companies you found that bought out Crest Craft, we might be able to use or industry contacts to find out some more information about the current owner (if there is one).
Thank you for the quick response. Yes, I will email some photos. Here is what I learned from the calls I’ve made:
Crest Craft sold their jewelry business to J & A in North Kingston, RI. Then J & A sold it to C & J in Providence, RI. The person I spoke with at C & J said that they are no longer in the military ring business because it was too difficult to keep the correct inventory. They referred me to Art Carved/Balfour.
Thanks for getting back to us. I can understand why you would call that a dead end. We will keep an eye out for your email, and once we see some pictures we can let you know if we think we can repair the ring.
Hello, I have a sterling silver Crest Craft military ring that belonged to my father (manufactured about 60 years ago). He passed away last year and wanted me to give the ring to my husband, who was also a U.S. Army Paratrooper. The band is split, I would like to have it repaired, resized (to a bigger size) and polished. I went to a jeweller in Vacaville and they told me to find the manufacturer, but Crest Craft only makes plaques now. Is there any chance that laser repair would work for something like this? Thank you, Julie Ries
Hi Julie, thanks for reaching out to us. Without seeing the piece, I can’t say for sure, but it does sound like something we should be able to repair for you. If you would like, you can email us some pictures of it (service@mygemologist.com), and we can give you a better idea. Or, you can always stop by the shop for a no obligation repair estimate.
Hi- I just found your site. And am so happy! My jeweler here in Folsom simply told me my earring would need a laser. When I asked where I could go to find one-they said they didn’t know. I am not sure that was true now. I had just sold them and then cleaning them the post broke off.
I also have a bracelet by Lori Bonn made about 10 years ago. One area has broken twice. Will you repair Sterling Silver that is not Couture?
Hi Susan, thanks for contacting us. Yes, we repair Sterling Silver and we would be more than happy to take a look at your bracelet and your earrings. I can’t say for sure that we will be able to do the repairs without seeing them, but it sounds like they shouldn’t be a problem. Feel free to come by the shop and we will take a look.