How To Mend Physical Damage To Your Wedding Ring

Our wedding rings are an important timeless symbol of our love and devotion. Unfortunately, over time, constant wearing of our wedding rings expose them to scratches, dullness, and even dents. Having a professional jeweler repair and clean our wedding rings can be expensive and causes us to part with the ring while it is mended. To save yourself the money and separation of a professional cleaning, you can easily mend your wedding rings at home with simple household items.

Mending Scratches

What you will need:

A washcloth
Soap
Water
White vinegar
A bowl
Jeweler’s polish
A polishing cloth
Latex gloves

Fill the bowl 1/3 of the way with white vinegar.
Place your ring in the vinegar for 15 minutes, occasionally moving the ring around. After 15 minutes, remove the ring. All dirt and grime should be loosened and ready for removal.
Take the washcloth and dampen it with warm water. Apply a small amount of dish soap and work it into lather. Give your ring a good scrubbing to remove all impurities and then wash with cold water. Dry the ring with a tissue.
Put on the latex gloves. Grab the polishing cloth and the jeweler’s polish. Begin to polish and buff the band to allow the rogue, a substance in the polishing cloth, to smooth out and fill in any scratches. Repeat this until all scratches have been removed.

Mending Dings and Dents

Gold is a very soft metal with varying levels of resistance. Unfortunately, the purer the karat, the softer the gold. Any type of hard labor performed by the ring hand can cause dents and dings to form in your wedding ring. Luckily, you can fix it at home.

What you will need:

Jeweler’s polish
A polishing cloth
A hammer
A ring mandrel

Be sure to give your ring a thorough cleaning with warm, soapy water before beginning the mending process.
Take your mandrel and slide your ring down as far as it will go. Make sure the ring is secure and tight around the mandrel.
Use a few gentle taps of the hammer to even out the bent portions and round it out.
Once all dents and dings are smoothed out, remove the ring and begin to polish it using the jeweler’s polish and the polishing cloth.

Additionally, if you find that the dents left on the ring are changing its complete look or affecting the original essence of the jewelry, you could consider ring remodelling to modify or try to salvage its’ originality. That way, you could retain its aesthetic and give the jewelry piece your own touch.
Mending Rings With Loose Stones

Sometimes wear and tear on a ring can cause the prongs, which hold your gemstone or diamond in place to loosen. You run the very real risk of losing your gemstone or diamond if the prongs are not repaired quickly. In case you have the expertise and resources available, then you can mend it yourself. If not, it would be best to leave this task to an experienced jeweler such as Jacobs The Jeweller, for example.

However, if you have decided to do it yourself, here are the things you will need:

An adjustable magnifying lamp
A pair of jeweler’s pliers
Water
Baking soda
A toothbrush

Set up your magnifying lamp. Hold the ring under the magnifying glass for a more detailed view of the situation.
Take the jeweler’s pliers and gently squeeze the loose prong(s) with the pliers.
Bend the prong back into place with the pliers. Make sure the prong is snug against the stone and holding strong.
Mix the baking soda and water together until it makes a paste.
Coat the toothbrush in the paste and gently scrub the gemstone until it sparkles.
Polish the gemstone with a lint-free cloth and enjoy the fresh sparkle of your repaired wedding ring.