How to Repair a Damaged Gemstone

A damaged gemstone is no fun to look at- the visible scratches, chips, or scuffing can be a real pain in the side for a jewelry lover. Fortunately, there are ways to repair the gem and get it back to its original sparkly and shiny condition. Read on to learn how to repair a damaged gemstone.

The Damaged Gemstone Repair Process

Step 1: Assess the Damage

This rose gold and aquamarine ring was extremely dirty.

Before the jeweler begins the repair process, the first thing to do is evaluate the stone. The jeweler easily does this by viewing it through a loupe, a special jeweler’s magnifying glass that can look at the item up close. This allows the jeweler to see exactly what is wrong with the stone and determine the next best course of action.

There are a few things that can affect a stone; surface scratches, surface chips, cracks and inclusions, and dirt. Most of the time, a stone will look visibly different due to dirt, as over time this grime accumulates underneath the stone and gets stuck within the setting. A jeweler may clean an item before examination just to get a better view of the gemstone and see if it’s actually damaged. 

Once the jeweler has pinpointed exactly what’s wrong with the jewel, he moves on to the repair.

Step 2: Repairing the Gemstone

The jeweler can work with a lapidary to repair gemstones depending on the damage. Here is a common list of repairs that a lapidary can perform.

1. Scratched gemstone: The lapidary polishes the surface of the gem to remove any scratches.
   
   

   A class ring stone before and after polishing

2. Chipped gemstone: Depending on the chip, the lapidary can buff the stone down, or re-facet the gemstone in order to remove the damage. If the chip affects the edge the stone may be polished down in that area to even out the discrepancy.
   
   

   A ring before and after polishing and setting repair work. Note that the polishing didn't completely remove the damage.

3. Cracks and inclusions: A lapidary can’t work with inclusions in the stone, but they can attempt to fix cracks provided that they don’t extend too deeply into the gem. A surface buffing will remove most of the damage on the top.
   
   

   This emerald has a noticeable internal fracture.

4. Broken gemstone: In the event that the item is completely broken, a lapidary can provide a stone replacement by sourcing a new gemstone and cutting it to fit the original setting.

Step 3: Polishing and Cleaning

A diamond ring being inspected for any loose stones

Once the lapidary is done, the item is given a thorough cleaning and polishing to remove any dirt and scratches from the stone polishing or stone setting process. The stone is checked in a quality assurance process to make sure it’s nice and tight, and then the jewelry is returned to you.

Now you’re ready to get started on how to repair a damaged gemstone! If you have a gem you want to fix today, comment below and we can help you get started.