Where should I go for jewelry repair in DC, and what will it cost?

September 18, 2015 12:41 PM

I have a few pieces of jewelry that need varying types of repairs, accumulated over the years, and I've decided I should finally just take them in and get them fixed. Having never done this before, where should I take them in Washington, DC, and what should I expect in terms of cost?

I have some pieces with very minor problems like a broken link or clasp, some (probably false) pearls that need to be restrung, and two pieces that have some more intricate structures and tiny pieces of metal that need to be fixed.

I'm looking for help both with a specific jeweler recommendation, and with pricing. I've looked at Yelp reviews for jewelry repair near my Adams Morgan apartment, and it sounds like Henry's is a likely best bet (would love if MeFites could confirm/deny), but the problem is I don't know what "$$" means in this context. I've never been one to spend money on jewelry; these items were all either gifts/inheritance or sub-$30 purchases. I don't particularly want to get these repaired if the cost of repairs is more than the cost of just purchasing a new item, but I have no idea if that's a reasonable expectation. Do these sound like $5 repairs? $25 repairs? $100 repairs?

I've seen these two questions but the problems that needed solutions seem very different from my own.

posted by capricorn to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (6 answers total)

You should try Today's Cargo, which is in Old Town Alexandria. A couple years ago they turned one of my bracelets into an earring, and it cost much less than I anticipated ($10 or $15). Your requests sound less complicated, so I imagine it would be even less expensive. I think most jewelry repair places will also give you a quote before doing the work, so you can determine whether the price sounds acceptable before they actually go through with the repairs.
posted by oiseau at 1:18 PM on September 18, 2015

Pearl restringing usually runs a few bucks an inch if you want them knotted. Also, the knots will be tight and the necklace will feel stiff for the first few wearings. For a broken link or clasp I'd estimate about 15-20 bucks for a solder. It will depend on the metal and if the clasp needs to be replaced.
posted by 26.2 at 2:13 PM on September 18, 2015

As a data point, I just had a silver necklace with a missing link replaced. It was about 25 bucks - I probably could have found a cheaper place, but they were convenient. I was given a quote before they started.
posted by umwhat at 4:28 PM on September 18, 2015

I can't speak about places local to you, but I would caution you not to take in all your pieces at once. Try one repair out first. If you're happy with it, then take in a couple more pieces. Then if they're satisfactory, you can take in the rest.

I say this because I have had a number of small repairs done at a number of different places and have found myself disappointed and frustrated by the quality of the work. Tightening a clasp shouldn't result in a bent mess (bit it did). Swapping out a stone in a ring shouldn't result in a large uneven gap, but it did. Even replacing a watch battery shouldn't result in a scratched-to-hell backing, but guess what? It did. It took me a while to find a place where I was happy with the workmanship.

Oh, and as for the pearls, that's something you can easily do yourself. Especially if they are only fakes, it's probably not cost-effective to have them professionally restrung, so go to a local beading supply store, buy yourself some silk thread for $5 (or likely less since you're in the US) and go to town restringing them. It's actually sort of relaxing. You can shut off you mind and just let you hands and body take over. You don't really need any fancy tools, except some very fine needle-nosed tweezers. There are lots of tutorials on YouTube that show you how it's done.
posted by sardonyx at 8:30 PM on September 18, 2015

I had some clasp work done a few years ago at another AdMo jeweler (wouldn't not recommend them, but Henry's seems better), and I think it ran me about $10.

I wonder if the $$ could have more to do with the jewelry for sale than the repairs? I'd think for basic stuff, repairs are going to be pretty similar in cost, since there are a few other jewelers in walking distance.
posted by EvaDestruction at 11:00 PM on September 18, 2015

Best answer: Henry's fixed a broken link on one piece and replaced a clasp on another, cost was $5 total for both.
posted by capricorn at 1:42 PM on August 21, 2016