Re-Tip Prongs and Beads
You want to be able to wear your find jewelry for all kinds of occasions, which is what it's for, after all. But that also means it's exposed to hazards and just general wear and tear over time that can cause damage to certain areas of a piece.
Whether you need the prongs on your engagement ring repaired or the beading on a family heirloom touched up, our experts have the right set of skills and the proper tools to get the job done. We'll return your piece to you looking like new, so you can again wear it the way it was meant to be worn.
Process Overflow
Re-tipping prongs and beads is a delicate process, especially because we don't want to do anything that will adversely impact another part of the piece. Many gemstones can be damaged by heat, which is why we use the best tools available to precisely direct a focused laser to only the specific area we're trying to repair.
- The first step in any re-tipping project is to clean and examine the entire piece to see if there is any additional damage that needs to be repaired.
- Once we know what we're working with, we'll solder a new bead of metal onto the worn surface of the old prong or bead to build it back up again. We'll also make sure all prongs are sitting securely against the gemstone like they should be.
- After the soldering is completed, we'll check all gemstones to make sure they're secure, and then we'll polish and refinish the piece.
Advanced Tools
In order to complete this type of highly technical and detailed work, we use only the best tools available. These include lasers that allow us to direct heat only onto the spots that need it without impacting any surrounding areas or features. This is especially important because re-tipping is carried out with the gemstones in place, and with this type of tool, we can avoid exposing them to the heat.
Why It's Important
Re-tipping may hardly seem to make a difference in the appearance of your ring or other piece of jewelry, but it's extremely important when it comes to the safety and security of your gemstones. Prongs especially serve several functions, including holding the stone securely and serving as a buffer to deflect impact.
This is why they get worn down, of course, and it's also why you need them. Many beads, while they may seem simply decorative, also serve similar purposes, and restoring them to their original condition is an excellent way to ensure that your fine jewelry looks its best for many years to come.
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I've been meaning to hold off on posting my review until the wedding bands for myself and my fiancé were finished, but the staff at Joseph went above and beyond my expectations today, so I'm posting my review early. When my fiancé and I first started talking about engagement rings, we knew that our primary requirement was wanting ethically sourced diamonds. Using that as our starting point, I began researching local jewelers to see what was available (since we wanted to be able to view our jewelry in person if possible), and we discovered that Joseph Jewelry was only a block away from our home and had fantastic reviews. After visiting many stores online, and viewing a few in person, we decided that Joseph seemed the most reliable and had an incredibly impressive array of designs online (which are just as impressive in person). The fact that our design would be custom and unique to us was the icing on the cake. Erich is our closest point of contact, and he's always been great about walking us through details and educating us every step of the way (whether about the design process or the materials used). We never felt pressured or rushed in any way during any of our many visits. If Erich was busy with another client or not in that day, Tony would step in - and he's equally fantastic. Lex was our designer, and had a really quick turnaround time on any changes we requested to our engagement ring design, as well as good advice on alternatives if my requests would compromise the structure and strength of the jewelry itself. Safe to say, the staff never makes you feel like a nuisance - they listen to your thoughts, concerns, and always do their utmost to make their clients happy. As for the custom jewelry designing process itself - it's pretty cool, as others have noted. There's really nothing quite like the combination of seeing the digital renderings and getting to feel a physical wax mold to give you a sense of how the design will look and feel in the end. It's as close to getting to see an actual product as you can get before the jewelry is actually made, helping you ensure that you're truly happy with the design. (And even then, when I actually got to see the final ring in person? So, so much more gorgeous than I was expecting. I don't get excited all that easily, and I was giddy when I finally got to wear the ring.) The experience made it easy for us to decide to return to the same store for our wedding bands. And the second time we went to brainstorm on my fiancé's band, Tony also offered to clean my ring (for free) while we were there. I got to see their steam cleaner, which was super efficient. But adding to all of this, this past weekend I somehow managed to clumsily dent my ring. I was fully prepared to have to leave my ring at the store and pay to restore it, and was feeling pretty guilty for not being more careful. I popped by the store, and Erich immediately set my mind at ease, saying it was no problem. He headed to the back room to talk with other staff, and within minutes, they had my ring back out, polished and cleaned beautifully, and I literally can't tell which side of my ring had the scratch anymore. To me, this is truly service at its finest. Basically - service and style make all the difference. Could not recommend Joseph more if you're shopping around for engagement and wedding rings.
