Frequently Asked Questions
WHY SHOULD I BRING MY REPAIR TO PERRY’S EMPORIUM?
- Upon each repair take in, your items are thoroughly inspected, documented & photographed for your protection
- You are provided with a copy of your repair take in for approval and your records
- A proper assessment andaccurate quote of your repair will be provided before the work is started
- If the jeweler, watchmaker or pearl restringer finds additional and/or different work that needs to be done once they personally review the job, you will be informed and presented with your options before any further action is taken.It is YOUR jewelry, YOUR money, YOUR decision.
- We use only quality materials and proper methods to ensure your repair is done right
- We guarantee all repairs for one full year (unless you are otherwise notified by a staff member upon take-in)
- We have and use lasers for almost all repairs to ensure precision and to maintain the integrity of your jewelry
- WE TAKE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF YOUR BELOVED JEWELRY VERY SERIOUSLY!
HOW DO YOU DETERMINE THE PRICE OF A REPAIR?
Many factors go into the pricing of a repair, such as:
- The number, size, shape, setting and placement of stones
- The type of metal(s), their karat weight and color.
- The amount of metal we will have to add in the repair process
- How much we pay for the metals used in the repair
- The cost of the findings and /or stones required to complete your repair
- Complexity of the repair and the amount of our jeweler’s/watchmaker’stime to complete your job
HOW LONG WILL IT TAKE FOR MY REPAIR TO BE COMPLETED?
Factors that determine the time frame of when your repair will be complete:
- The complexity of the repair
- The workload of our jewelers at the time
- Whether or not we are short-staffed in repair shop from illness, vacations, etc.This is a family owned and operated business and no one repairs our customers’ jewelry except those Alan has trusted to hire.We do not send out repairs if our jewelers get too busy.
HOW OFTEN SHOULD I BRING MY ENGAGEMENT/WEDDING RING TO BE CLEANED AND CHECKED?
We suggest every 3 months or so, unless…
- It has encountered some type of impact/damage
- A stone seems loose or missing
- You can feel a prong is rough or catching on things
- You notice something just doesn’t feel right. You know your ring!
If any of these are the case, you’ll want to stop wearing it immediately and bring it in as soon as possible.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY RING NEEDS TO BE RETIPPED?
The only sure way to know is to bring it in and let a professional examine it under magnification. However, if you experience any of the following, it probably needs a tips or prongs:
- Some prongs appear (or feel) larger or thicker than others
- Prongs seem very flat and almost flush to the stone(s)
- You can see that one or more portions of the stone have no prongs, yet the opposing side does
- Your ring is catching on fabric/clothing or feels rough to the touch
- If you shake your ring next to your ear, you can hear the stones moving.
MY RING IS TOO BIG AND SPINNING ONCE IT’S ON MY FINGER, BUT IT WON’T FIT OVER MY KNUCLE IF I SIZE IT ANY SMALLER. CAN ANYTHING BE DONE?
Absolutely! This is a very common problem, especially as many people’s joints swell with age. There are actually a number of shank solutions to choose from. A sales associate will be happy to help you figure out which is best for you and your budget:
- An adjustable shank that can be stretched larger to fit over the knuckle, and then secured with a locking system once in place.
- A shank that opens entirely with a hinge, and latches closed
- “Speed bumps,” beads or a “U” which are created with matching metal and strategically placed on the inside of the shank (where the ring rests on the back of the finger) so that you can maneuver the ring over your knuckle, yet it fits snuggly once in place and keeps the ring from turning.
DO YOU REPAIR COSTUME JEWELRY?
Yes! If it can be repaired ,and we foresee a favorable and attractive outcome for you, we will be happy to repair it.In the case of costume jewelry, sometimes the use of base metals, fillings, electroplates, faux stones, etc cannot handle the typical methods of proper jewelry repair, but bring it in and we’ll see what we can do for you.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN USING A TORCH AND A LASER?
Repairs such as soldering require heat and if heat sensitive stones are near the area to be repaired, jewelers who do not have a laser will have to remove and reset the stones to properly and safely complete the repair. Unsetting and resetting stones should be kept to a minimum to salvage the integrity of the piece.
Using a laser is the most safe, efficient and accurate way to do many repairs and they look much nicer when completed with a laser vs a torch.We have two lasers at Perry’s and use them for most repairs.
DO YOU REPAIR NON-JEWELRY ITEMS?
Yes! We can often repair eye glasses, small clocks, silver items (like candle sticks) and more.Most of the time, however, we will have to physically see the piece to evaluate whether or not we can repair it and determine a fair price.
