While setting a piece of turquoise into a ring, it fractured. It was
a combination of factors (thin piece of turquoise, small burr on the
inside of bezel, my inexperience ;-D) … is there any way to repair
it after the stone has already been set? Is there an epoxy I can use
and if so, which would be the best one to do the job? How do I get it
in the crack and not all over the face of the stone?
I intend to keep the ring for myself. I also don’t want to try to
repair it by hiding the crack with a silver wire overlay.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions.
Tracy
Tracy’s Treasures
There is no way that I know of (30 years experience) to make the
crack disappear at this point. And the only way I know of to get the
epoxy into the crack and not all over the stone is to get it all
aver the stone then finish it off with a smooth 600 grit then Zam on
a muslin buff. This leaves the epoxy where you want it and not where
you don’t. I do this type of repair for clients who want to keep the
stone for emotional reasons and don’t mind the crack. I would
usually suggest removing the stone and cutting a new one.
Did you back the stone prior to setting with anything? I use
sawdust, this cushions the stone and evens out the back to provide a
flat surface. I have also used blotter paper and thin cardboard but
always go back to sawdust since I am faster at it that the others.
This means that the bezel has to be high enough to accommodate the
stone and the backing material but results in a high success rate.
Sam Patania, Tucson
www.patanias.com
You can never repair a broken stone, but if you want to anyway, use
epoxy to glue it. The stone was bonded at a molecular level, and
after it’s broken you can never press it back together to anywhere
near that level. I.E. - you’ll always see the break.