Jewelry Repair Information

Rofin laser welder

Vermont jewelry repair professional Kennon Young specializes in jewelry repair and restoration for both modern and antique jewelry. Whether you are in the need of repairing a broken prong on a modern engagement ring, or the repair of a worn down bezel of an Art Deco brooch, the VT Gem Lab does it all. All repairs are performed by a Jewelers of America Certified Bench Jeweler Technician using state of the art technology and methodology. Jewelry repairs are done in house and can be performed on the spot with an appointment.

Antique Restoration

The VGL specializes in antique restoration. Please visit our sister site, www.jewelryrestorationexpert.com for detailed information, photographs and price grids for antique restoration.

Laser Welding Jewelry Repair

The VGL uses a state-of-the-art laser welding system as opposed to a jeweler’s torch. This technology allows for pinpoint accuracy and super tough welds. This allows our jewelry repairman to offer services that are of superior quality and above and beyond the abilities that a jeweler’s torch offers.

Platinum Jewelry Repair

Platinum jewelry repair with a laser welder allows for flawless welds as opposed to contaminated solders. With the melting temperature of platinum at 3225*F, platinum jewelry is not repairable without removing precious stones or contaminating, discoloring and softening the metal with white gold solder. A laser welder, however, has a much smaller heat transfer (2.0 inches to 2.0 mm) then a jeweler’s torch. A laser welded jewelry repair deposits and fills the same platinum material into the seam, allowing for a perfect restoration that even the original jewelry artist may not be able to distinguish.

Modern Jewelry Repair

Modern jewelry repair may seem like a standardized practice- but it can vary greatly in quality and value depending upon the jewelry repairman you choose. Many shops, for example, will carry only "easy solder" for repair. Easy solder is a metal introduced to breaks and seams that flows easily and has a much lower melting temperature than the parent metal. The disadvantage of this practice is a discolored seam that is much more susceptible to breaking then a "hard solder" or seamless laser weld.

A finished laser repair from the Vermont Gem Lab will have no seam, no discoloration and will be just as durable as the day you bought it!

Art Deco Jewelry Repair

Art Deco jewelry repair is quickly becoming needed as many are becoming 100 years old. Worn prongs on pave set Old European cut diamonds, re-cutting synthetic sapphires and emeralds and chasing and repousee techniques on warped brooches, rings and earrings are all possible. And with a laser, you wont face contamination with white gold torch repairs. In fact, many restorations will leave the Vermont Gem Lab looking close to how they did when they were originally manufactured.

Victorian and Antique Silver Jewelry Repair

Estate and antique silver jewelry, even antique gold jewelry, has a patina, or oxidation, on the surface which shows the items age. This patina literally holds value as it is a part of the item's historical provenance. Torch repair will take this patina completely off up to two inches from a solder. A laser repair for patinated silver jewelry may remove a patina only up to two millimeters.

Eyeglass Repair

Base metal and even titanium eyeglass repair is possible with a laser welder. For a fraction of the price, your eyeglasses can be repaired with super tough welds.

Titanium eyeglass repair is only possible with a laser welder equipped with an argon gas shield. 90% of titanium eyeglasses can be fixed with this method.

Tool and small parts repair

Small, broken metal parts of almost any alloy (high zinc content alloys are not possible) are repairable. Further, precise holes can be “vaporized”, or drilled with a laser where needed. Molds can be spot welded at the corners to line the up correctly. Even tiny lead solder breaks on circuit boards are all possible.