Repair Services

Throughout your life, your fingers will change size; therefore a proper fit for a ring is essential. Too loose and you risk losing it. Too tight and it's uncomfortable and hard to remove. When your ring doesn't fit properly, the Pavé goldsmiths can resize it locally in our workshop.

The first step in sizing your ring is to come in and have one of our staff measure your finger. Once we ascertain your correct size, we can discuss the various options available to you. In most cases, we will cut the ring at the base, either add or subtract metal and then solder it back together. The hallmark to a sizing done properly is that you won't see a seam. The only thing you'll notice is that your ring fits!

For a plain band, it is possible for us to stretch it instead of cutting it. However, this can only be done if we're going up/down no more than one size. Also, if there are gemstones in the band or if it has open area or has previously been sized, stretching would not be possible.

Pricing is dependent on the type of metal, the thickness of the ring, as well as how many sizes we are going up/down. If there are gemstones, there is the possibility that they would need to be tightened after the sizing. Our staff can give you an estimate once we have factored in all of these variables.

Through the years, the condition of your ring may change. Whether you work with your hands a lot or not, your ring will go through normal wear and tear which could include the prongs wearing down. Prongs will generally wear evenly though it’s possible that the prongs on the outside of the ring will wear down slightly faster.

At Pavé, our in-house goldsmiths can perform a tip repair, repair a worn prong, or do a full prong repair. What’s the difference?

• Tip repair is what we do when the metal has worn down but there is still metal covering the girdle. We generally recommend re-tipping all prongs so that they appear uniform.
• A worn prong will have metal coming up to the girdle but no metal over the top of the gem.
• A full prong repair is done when there is no metal touching anywhere near the girdle of the stone.

Pricing for all of these options is dependent on the metal and the number of prongs.

Please note that prong and tip repair require very high heat and only three faceted stones can take the heat: diamond, ruby, and sapphire. All other gems will need to be pulled prior to the work being done and will need to be reset. This can result in additional fees.

It happens...  You were taking off a scarf and your chain snapped.  Or maybe you were holding a baby who grabbed your necklace and it broke.  Broken chains happen but Pavé can help!  

Whether you have a cable, wheat, rolo or box chain, our expert goldsmiths can repair your chain, generally by soldering it back together.  Pricing depends on the severity of the break and the overall thickness of the chain.  Our workshop can also replace broken clasps and even add "stations" on your chain allowing you the ability to wear your chain at various lengths. 

If you find your chain is too short, we can look at various chain extender options that are permanent or removable. 

And if you have a tangled chain, allow us to untangle it for you!

When a strand of pearls or beads has broken or stretched, we can restring it for you.

Restringing is also necessary when you’d like to change the clasp on a strand. Consider whether you’d like the piece strung with knots between each bead, with knots between every few beads, or without any knots.

Also remember that when a strand is restrung on silk (as most pearl strands are), it will be slightly shorter in length than it was before, as silk stretches over time.

We are pleased to offer appraisals and similar services.

Insurance Appraisals

An insurance appraisal is a legally-binding document, and some insurance companies require them. Check with your insurance company to find out exactly what kind of documentation they need in order to insure your piece(s) and how often they need to be renewed.

Appraisals start at $150 for a 1 carat solitaire ring with the price increasing depending on the size of the gems and the complexity of the piece. We offer this service via an independent appraisal every two weeks or so (call us to see when our next appraisal clinic is scheduled). Appointments are required as there is limited space. After the piece has been assessed, the appraisal will be sent to you 3-4 weeks after the clinic. Please contact us to arrange an appointment. 

Point-of-Sale Report

In addition to a receipt, we can provide a Point-of-Sale Report at the time of purchase. This report will contain a photograph and detailed description of your piece on our letterhead. Many insurance companies will accept this report for insurance purposes.

Verbal Assessment

Our sales staff can give you a basic, verbal assessment of a piece purchased or acquired elsewhere, and we can provide you a trade or buy offer for the recycle value of the piece. Our sales staff cannot provide a monetary replacement value — in that case, a formal appraisal is required.

Gem identification and Metal Testing

Some of our designers are trained gemologists, and can use a series of scientific tests to identify your gemstone. We can also test your pieces in our workshop to determine whether or not they are made of precious metal, and if so, which metal. Fees can occasionally apply for this service - please contact us for more information.

Has your fine jewelry seen better days? Perhaps you've inherited a piece that feels dated? Our expert jewelers will make them look good as new.

Pavé offers a wide variety of services on vintage jewelry, including but not limited to:

• Ring resizing
• Fortification of prongs (“re-tipping” or “re-pronging”, depending on the needs of the piece)
• Diamond and gemstone replacement
• Refurbishment of worn settings
• Soldering – broken chains, breaks in rings, broken clasps, etc
• Earring repair, including conversion of posts (tension to screw-on, or vice versa) or clip-on mechanism
• Gem polishing