Jewelry and Watch Repair FAQs

Jewelry and Watch Repair FAQs

We get asked a lot of questions about the jewelry and watch repair services that we offer. Here are a few of the most frequently asked:

Should I only get my items repaired at a store that has its shop on premise?

Not necessarily, but there are questions you need to ask prior to leaving your valuables. If the work is not done on premise and your jewelry will be sent out to a workshop instead, then find out where it is going, who is doing the work and whether or not your jewelry will be returned by common carrier. At the end of the day, you want your jewelry and watches repaired by qualified and trustworthy people. They don’t need to be on premise to fit that criteria.

Check out the stores Reviews and Better Business Bureau ratings. Talk to an owner. We never ship out our customers’ items to our offsite workshop. Instead, we hand deliver them back and forth so that we always have control. While in our care, our customers’ items are insured under our business block policy.

Make sure you get a detailed receipt of what you are leaving. Ask questions about what is being written on the receipt so you can leave with confidence. Honest people with good history will do your repairs well, no matter where the work is actually being done.

Why is jewelry repair somewhat expensive?

Good, highly-skilled jewelers get paid well. The work they do is tedious and labor intensive, usually done under magnification and at high temperature and pressure that can put precious stones and metals at risk. The work takes time and precision to be done well.

You can always check around for a pricing comparison on basic jobs like soldering, sizing and prong repairs to get a sense of the business’s price structure. Remember, however, that the best price is not always the best job. Most jewelry stores make a fair profit on repairs given the risks and costs of such work.

How come watch repairs take so long?

Good watchmakers are somewhat scarce. They generally do work for multiple stores to secure a living. The process of analyzing and effecting a watch repair is also a tedious process. If parts are needed, they must be secured from a small number of businesses that supply the trade. Some parts are not readily available and can take a while to acquire. After work is done on a watch, it needs to be tested to make sure it shows good time. If not, the watchmaker needs to make adjustments and then test again. For all these reasons, proper watch repair can take weeks – even months – depending on the job.

About the author:

Jon Migdow has over 40 years of experience in the jewelry business. His store, TDC Jewelry, has been serving customers across Chicagoland since 1984 and recently moved to a new location in Deer Park, IL.