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About Thomas
Expertise
Have a question about jewelry repair or working with gold or silver jewelry and gemstones? I am a working professional bench jeweler, involved everyday with setting stones in mountings, designing and making jewelry, repairing and some custom manufacture. Over 30 years experience. If you work with jewelry as a hobby or as a profession, I might be able to help. I deal with the retail business, not mass production. Ask privately if you wish. See the box for that: It keeps your question between us. Please DO NOT ask MAKER'S MARKS, but metal quality marks are fine to ask. Please DO NOT ask diamond prices. See a gemologist for that.
Experience
Education is English/Physics!Started in human resources, to advertising, to jewelry...wow, what a road. Now a jeweler for many years. I have had formal training in jewelry work and many shared experiences with top grade jewelers. We just never know were we will go or be. Follow your best, your dreams, with some discretion!
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You are here: Experts > Style > Jewelry Making > Jewelry, Gems, & Minerals > decoloration of a ring and charm bracelet
Expert: Thomas
Date: 5/8/2008
Subject: decoloration of a ring and charm bracelet
Question
is it possible to have jewelry i guess re-dip in gold or sliver
Answer
Dear Amaiya,
Yes, it is possible to have items plated with silver or gold; however, this is not practical with most jewelry items. If the ring and charm bracelet were gold filled or gold plated, to replate(dip) the items will mean all the old plate must be removed and the items polished fine first. Then the ring and bracelet may be plated. You see, the labor to prepare the items for plate is much labor and the cost is more than it is worth for plated or gold filled items. Gold filled will be almost impossible unless the plate is done over the items with the wear now showing. The new metal on the surface will color the wear but will not hide the wear.
To plate in silver is something which requires more work first, including another plate surface for the item to be plated in silver. Almost no jewelers will do this work and the cost would be very high.
I recommend against this plate in gold or silver. In gold, the item may be plated by jewelers who do gold plating but the results will not make the jewelry look new again. To make new again means complete removal of all wear spots and old plate layers first. The labor for this is high cost, also. The new gold plate cannot be guaranteed for how long it will last, since most jewelers have simple devices for doing the work and cannot know exactly the thickness of new metal.
Plated (dipped) jewelry is done in factories equipped to do this work on hundreds or thousands of items at the same time. The process is regulated carefully. A normal jeweler does not have the equipment to do the work so well.
You may check with a local jeweler to see what they say about the work. I suggest you do not hope for fine like new results because this will not be the case within practical money costs.
Thanks for the question. I do appreciate it.
God Bless and Peace. Thomas May 8, 2008 8:53PM
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