How to repair or solder a gold or silver chain at home

Beautiful jewelry can make even the simplest look bright and interesting. Therefore, it is not surprising that many modern people quite actively use gold and silver items, both in everyday life and on holidays. But sometimes you have to look for the answer to the question of how to fix it if the lock on the chain is broken?

• Main types of chain locks
• Locks for jewelry chains and bracelets: which one breaks more often
• How to solder a silver chain: restoring jewelry at home

for repair and production of chains

SilverGoldRepair of gold and silver chainsSoldering of one place of a chain of simple weaving (soldering one link) from 250 from 350 Soldering of one place of a chain of complex weaving (hollow link) from 350 from 400 Soldering of one place by Laser (soldering of any weaving and complexity including stones) from 400 from 500 Repair of a pin in a chain (when replacing several pins, a discount ) from 400 from 600 Spring repair or lock replacement - Springel (depending on the size and weight of the lock) from 200 from 300 Spring repair or lock replacement - Carabiner (depending on the size and weight of the lock) from 250 from 500 Chain reduction from 250 from 450 Cleaning and polishing (depending on complexity) from 200from 200Manufacture of the connecting ring of the chain (cost of work)from 200from 30012 month warranty (indicated on receipt)Making hand-woven chainsChain from 10 to 20 grams (per 1 gram of work) 250450 Chain from 20 to 150 grams (per 1 gram of work) 200300Prices are indicated in rubles

In some cases, a certain amount of metal will be required to repair the breakdown. This will certainly also increase the cost of repairs.

Gold chain restoration services and their prices

Workshops perform work using modern technologies. Laser soldering allows you to hide breakage points due to thin seams. To work with gold, you need to know its chemical, technical and physical properties.

• Most often people come to the technician with a problem that requires soldering a chain. It is necessary when the chain breaks. It doesn’t take much effort for the chain to break; most often this happens when the jewelry gets tangled. Price 250-2000 rubles .
• Adding metal to a worn area (soldering). The price depends on the volume of soldering; on average in Russia it costs from 300 to 3000 rubles .
• Repair of chain locks. Cost 700 rubles and above. The price for this type varies depending on the type of castle. Types of locks: springel, carbine, box.
• If the product has darkened, then cleaning is carried out in the workshops. When working with gold, you need to know its chemical, technical and physical properties. Cleaning is carried out using chemical solutions, so you need to choose a professional with care. Washing, cleaning in an ultrasonic bath and polishing costs on average 300-1000 rubles . The price depends on the degree of contamination, type and size of the decoration.
• If you received an old chain as a gift from your grandmother, rhodium plating can add shine and remove scratches . Rhodium plating is a delicate work in which a layer of rhodium is applied to the jewelry, with the help of which the durability and strength of the gold metal is increased. Price from 1000 rubles . Rhodium is applied as a thin layer of sulfate. Only professionals with extensive experience can perform such work.

Prices differ in different regions of the country. The average price for the type of service was indicated above. It is not recommended to take it for repairs where there are cheap offers and dubious organizations. It is better to play it safe and pay the normal price so that the work is done efficiently.

Prices depend on the amount of work and type of damage. Naturally, repairing a chain is more profitable than buying a new one. Workshops are trying to keep track of rising prices and match their competitors. The skillful hands of a craftsman, laser equipment, a microscope, a magnifying glass, a vice, brushes and chemical solutions work wonders, bringing life back to jewelry.

Features of chain repair

If the product turns out to be damaged, it is important to find a truly qualified craftsman who can carry out high-quality repairs and give the jewelry its original appearance. If the master jeweler does not have the necessary skills and experience, this can lead to the fact that the repair of gold chains will be done poorly and the product will be damaged.

Our GoldLazer workshop employs experienced craftsmen who have been repairing jewelry for many years and are always ready to provide chain repair services at the highest level. We repair gold, silver, platinum chains of any weave, change the locks on them and carry out all other types of repairs.

Soldering or welding is used to restore broken links.

Soldering is a process in which metal is softened by high temperatures so that damaged links can be repaired. This process requires maximum accuracy and caution so that the soldering area is almost invisible. An experienced jeweler can repair even the thinnest chain in such a way that no one will even guess that it was once broken.

Welding is carried out using a laser. This method allows you to reduce contact with metal to a minimum and is the most gentle on products. However, the technology allows chains to be repaired very efficiently and accurately; the welding site will be very strong and reliable, and from an aesthetic point of view, the decoration will not be damaged.

One of the most common breakdowns of jewelry such as chains is a broken clasp. This part is used especially often, is constantly subjected to loads and sooner or later fails. The lock can be replaced or repaired depending on how damaged it is. The master jeweler will offer both methods of restoring the item, and the client will only have to choose the one that suits him. If it is necessary to replace the entire lock, it can be made from the same metal from which the chain is made, or from another.

Causes of breakdowns

Thanks to modern technologies, you can give the chain a new life, it will not be worse than before it broke. There are many reasons why a gold chain may break, here are the most common:

• Don’t think that old things need restoration. Factory defect of the new jewelry - poor soldering of the links.
• The heaviness of the suspension, which entails breaking the chain.
• Mechanical impact on the chafing area.
• Failure of locks.

Repair of chains in the GoldLazer workshop

In our jewelry workshop “GoldLazer” you can order the repair of chains made of gold, silver, platinum and any other materials.

We employ highly qualified specialists who will qualitatively repair your jewelry, restore a broken chain or replace a lock. As a result, you will receive a perfectly serviceable product that will serve you for many years.

Modern equipment and extensive experience allow our craftsmen to carry out high-quality chain repairs reliably and quickly.

How to solder a chain at home

Repairing a silver chain with your own hands is a filigree and responsible job. It is necessary to have equipment, a set of reagents and, most importantly, skills to work with them. Otherwise, you can damage the product, and instead of restoring it, disfigure it. If the required equipment and reagents are not available and this type of work is new, it is better to abandon the intention of soldering a silver chain at home, and leave this work to a specialist from a jewelry workshop. The same applies to repairing a gold chain.

Basic concepts and definitions

Before you begin repair work on silver or gold, it is important to have a set of necessary materials:

• Solder is a special metal alloy that has a melting point lower than pure metal.
• Flux is a mixture or single substance of an organic or inorganic nature that promotes uniform distribution of solder over the surface and prevents oxidation of the metal when heated.
• An acid solution (not to be confused with acid flux) brightens the metal after soldering.

How to solder a silver chain

Depending on the standard of the silver jewelry, the brand of solder is selected, which is produced in the form of rods, pieces, etc. An equally important characteristic of the auxiliary alloy is its fluidity and hardness.

Silver solder consists of silver, zinc and copper, and may include tin. The higher the silver content in the alloy, the stronger the soldering will be. The melting point of solder ranges from 640 to 780 °C, while the melting point of pure silver is 961 °C.

Soldering a silver chain at home involves several stages.

1. Using any fireproof material (brick, asbestos), securely fasten the parts of the product.
2. Treat the joints with flux and put solder between them.
3. Carefully heat the metal evenly until a soldering seam is formed (try to solder the silver chain so that the seam is strong and at the same time invisible).
4. Cool the product, remove flux and solder, then polish.
5. To lighten the soldering area, treat it with an acidic solution, such as nitric acid.

It is possible to solder a silver chain at home with a soldering iron yourself, using special solder combined with flux.

Is it possible to solder a gold chain?

At home, it is possible to solder a gold chain in the same way as described above, using gold solder. It contains gold, silver, copper, zinc and in some alloys cadmium. The melting point of solder varies from 710 to 850 °C, while the same figure for pure gold is 1063 °C.

It is important to understand that repairing a gold chain by a non-specialist, even with the necessary materials, is quite difficult. Therefore, the best way out of the situation is to use the services of jewelry repair specialists.

What you need to know

In order to change the lock on a silver chain, you can contact a specialist, or you can get excellent results yourself. You can purchase a lock at a jewelry store or workshop. And for direct replacement, simply use small pliers and a screwdriver.

If the “tongue” in the carabiner does not work, most often the cause of the breakdown is a malfunction of the spring, which is located in the lock structure. In order to fix the problem, you will need to replace the spring mechanism. It is impossible to achieve an ideal result at home. Therefore, if you want to return your favorite piece of jewelry to working condition, it is recommended to go to a professional jeweler.

Types of services

The following reduction techniques are distinguished:

• By cutting out part of the metal (suitable for ordinary rings without inserts and products with stones).
• By compression (ideal for models without stones and engraving).
• By adding metal inside (used if the jewelry is thin, it has inserts and engraving).

Depending on the material of manufacture, you can reduce the decoration:

• Golden.
• Silver.
• Platinum.
• Copper.
• Bronze.
• Made from an alloy of different metals.

At the place of provision, the service can be performed:

1. At home.
2. In a workshop.

The performer may be:

• Private master.
• Jewelry service company specialist.

You can reduce it by:

• One.
• Two.
• Three.
• Four sizes.

Depending on the urgency of the order, it can be:

• Urgent (performed on the same day within 20-30 minutes).
• Regular (execution time can reach several days, weeks).

Estimated cost

A ring reduction service in Russian jewelry workshops costs from 300 to 1,500 rubles . If the work is simple, not time-consuming and labor-intensive, and the decoration does not have stones, then its cost will vary between 300-800 rubles . If the order is difficult to complete or urgent, then you will have to pay about 1,500 rubles .

Approximate prices for ring reduction depending on the techniques used are given below:

• By cutting out a piece of metal - from 400 rubles .
• By compression - about 300-350 rubles .
• By adding metal inside - from 800 rubles .