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How to Maintain Your Earrings After Repair

Written by Annabelle
December 11, 2019

After you’ve gotten your favorite earrings fixed, everything should be back to normal, right? If you don’t want to come back for a repeat visit to the jeweler, there are a few things you should be keeping in mind. Read on to learn more about earring repair maintenance.

What Should I Know About My Earrings?

One thing to keep in mind is that a jewelry repair isn’t absolute. To fix jewelry, a jeweler will use solder, which is an easily meltable metal alloy that functions like a glue. And like most items fixed with glue, your earrings will not be as durable as they used to be before the repair. 

Earrings typically come in a few forms, such as studs, hoops, dangle earrings, and clip-ons. Here’s what you need to know about each earring type:

  • Studs: The most common repair for this kind of earring is post soldering. When the post snaps off, the jeweler will solder it back on to the design.

    earring-repair-maintenance-studs

    These stud earrings were converted to leverbacks later.

  • Hoops: This type of earring often requires a post, or a hinge repair. Most hoop earrings sold on the market are hollow, and are prone to denting or crushing.

    earring-repair-maintenance-hoops

    These hollow gold hoop earrings had their hinges repaired.

  • Dangle earrings: Dangle earrings may require jump ring soldering to hold the design together, or post repair. These earrings tend to be elaborate in terms of design and require more work to repair.

    earring-repair-maintenance-dangle

    A pair of dangle earrings before repair.

  • Clip-ons: Clip-on earrings rely heavily on the hinge of the clip backs. They often need post soldering, as this type of earring may have a post for extra security.

    earring-repair-maintenance-turquoise

    A pair of silver turquoise clip-on earrings after work.

4 Ways to Keep Your Earrings in Good Condition

  1. Place stud earrings in a soft box designed for holding earrings: As the posts are prone to snapping, it’s best to keep them in a place where they won’t be easily crushed. Some jewelry boxes are sold with little holes for stud earrings. Another alternative is to stick them into a velvet ring holder, with the posts in the ring slot.
  2. Avoid crushing hoops: Most jewelers will not be able to pop out the dent in a hollow hoop. Keep your hoop earrings in a small, enclosed box when you’re not wearing them, and avoid sleeping with them on.

    earring-repair-maintenance-hoop-hollow

    This hollow gold hoop has several dents in it from wear.

  3. Don’t tug on your earrings: Heavy dangle earrings with unsoldered jump rings will fall apart if you keep tugging at them. Unsoldered jump rings have open gaps that will widen with force, causing the design to unhook from the rest of the earring. Avoid hanging up this type of earring as well; the weight of it on a jewelry holder will cause unnecessary strain on the post or hook.

    earring-repair-maintenance-dangle-gold

    These gold diamond earrings are broken at the connection between the top and bottom part of the design.

  4. Be careful with the hinge on your earrings: For hoops and clip-ons, the hinge is necessary for opening and closing the earring. Forcefully tugging on it will loosen the hinge and bend the corresponding post out of shape.

    earring-repair-maintenance-hinge

    A hoop earring after hinge replacement and repair.

Now you have a better idea of how to keep your earrings in good condition with these earring repair maintenance tips! If you have a pair of earrings that need repair, hit us up in the comments below.

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