Replacement of lost earrings

The news I have received is that earrings purchased or received within a few years will likely be replaced if the manufacturer is identified; however, if the earrings are several years old, that style may no longer be available for direct replacement. A first step you’ve probably considered is going to the business that sells the earrings in the first place. That company would be better able to quickly identify the supplier and perhaps replace the missing one. Please note that earrings may only be available as a pair, not as a single unit.

Identifying the manufacturer can often be difficult and I’ve given up trying to do that for those asking here at allexperts. There are many manufacturers and much jewelry is imported under the brands of various manufacturers. Identification becomes almost the work of a detective armed with books and brand books! To read the usually small markings on earrings, you’ll need to get a good 10x lens or go to a jewelry store with a microscope and ask if they can read the marking or let you take a look. Still, the brand, if it is recognized by the jeweler, will help, but if you do not know about it, you will be back to a difficult task.

DUPLICATE THE EARRING

If the earrings are made of precious metal, ie gold in general, and are not costume jewelry, there is a reasonable chance that one will be made. Jewelers simply cannot duplicate costume jewelry because of the metals and finishes used and because the cost of duplication is high. If the earrings are made of precious metal, you have a chance.

WHERE TO GO

Since the jewelers you’ve visited didn’t seem interested in making or matching your earring, you should try a local business that sells quality jewelry but also has a bank jeweler working in-house. The company must also do custom work. The bench jeweler is the one who makes repairs and makes custom jewelry.

Next, ask employees about how to replace the missing earring and if they can order a “mount” or similar earring from their vendors. If so, you’re in luck! If not, the jeweler can look at the earring and see if that is an item that he can make for you. Keep in mind; The cost is likely to be higher than the original price, as it may turn out to be a one-off job.

Often a similar design can be purchased and the jeweler can modify it so that the earring purchased matches the original. This latter approach is less expensive than making the earring from scratch. As a last resort, try a jewelry business that specializes only in custom work to have the item made for you. I would try to make that business the last, as many full-service jewelers who do custom work have large supplier bases to search for an earring that can be purchased, avoiding the need for custom work. The jeweler who does strictly custom work may not have that supplier base to fall back on.

When the earring is a post, with the omega back running through it when worn, adjustment is not too difficult. Generally, this means taking a pair of soft-nose jeweler’s pliers and bending the base of the omega down. This leaves more space between your ear and the back, with the post still there to hold the earring in your ear.

Now with no post and just the omega back, they each need to be adjusted the same way but only a little at a time. The earring should be firm enough to support your earlobe, but not so tight that it’s uncomfortable.

A NOTE OF WARNING

Omega backs are great. The problems come when these are in hollow and light earrings. Another problem arises if the backs are not very well soldered (soldered) to the body of the earring. Bending will sometimes cause the base portion of the omega to break; with thin, hollow earrings, the earring can chip off a piece of gold, leaving a very difficult repair job.

I would try this only if I am familiar with doing it! It takes a tactile “education” or “touch” to feel how the metal works when bent.

MY ADVICE

Let a jeweler do it! They can bend a little; Allows you to try on earrings for fit, bending again if necessary to achieve a comfortable fit.

If you break the earrings… well, then you’ll pay to have it fixed. If the jeweler does it, he must inform you in advance who is responsible in case of breakage. A competent jeweler should be able to tell you in advance if there is an obvious risk to loosening earring backs.