jewelry repair

Repairing A Ring Cut Off Finger

*A ring cut off of a finger and bent apart.*

Ring stuck on your finger? You’re not alone. This predicament happens to thousands of people every year.

There are many “hacks” you can try to remove a stuck ring, such as using Windex a lubricant or soaking your finger in cold water to reduce swelling.

When all else fails, a stuck ring can actually be cut off ! Once the ring is removed, we can get to work repairing a ring cut off a finger.

*This ring cut off of a finger almost looks like a bangle bracelet!*

There are many reasons why rings get stuck on fingers. Some reasons include swelling during pregnancy or weight gain that has spread out over many years. People forget to take off their rings and one day they wake up and find they can’t get it off any longer.

In addition, some people have fingers that are prone to swelling. This can happen due to weather or even from something as simple as sitting in a hot tub.

A ring that is been cut off of a finger needs repairing.

Unfortunately there is the chance that a ring will be damaged when it is cut off of a finger. This will require repair in addition to sizing the ring.

When someone goes to the Fire Station or hospital to have their ring removed, often the medics first priority is to just get the ring off. They are not as concerned about damaging the ring in the process.

This is completely understandable, however it can be frustrating to see a beloved ring get intentionally ruined. Thankfully there is a way to repair rings after they have been cut off a finger!

To get a quote on repairing your ring, contact us!

The Repair Process

Using a jewelers saw, the rings that were previously soldered together are cut apart. This will make the repair process a lot easier having all the rings separated. We can focus on each ring individually before soldering them back together.

*Separated for the first time in years.*

The rings are now separated but you can now more fully see how spread out they are. The rings will have to be reshaped and soldered back together.

*These pliers have a “soft” inside to prevent damaging the diamonds.*

Using ring bending pliers, I carefully bent the rings back into a semi-round shape. The rings will need to be soldered where they were cut so we can round them out again!

*At this stage the rings have an oval shape.*

After the rings have mostly been bent back into shape, they need to be cleaned first. You can see how dirty they are! Whenever heat is applied to a ring for soldering, it is imperative that the rings are first clean.

*Blue ultrasonic cleaning solution, warmed up!*

An ultrasonic cleaner is used to get the rings nice and clean. This will ensure that no dirt gets stuck to the bottom of the diamonds during the soldering process. It will also help ensure a clean solder job in the places that need to be repaired.

Sizing and Soldering

After the rings have been cleaned, a torch is used to solder the rings back in place. In this instance, the rings were also sized up to accommodate the new finger size. We want to make sure the rings don’t stuck on a finger again!

The 3 rings after they have been sized, soldered and rounded out! We can start to see their original beauty again.

After the rings have been rounded out, they are ready to be soldered back together again. We want to recreate the look of the wedding set before it was cut off of the finger. So the engagement ring goes in the middle and one wedding band is soldered back on each side.

The completed ring! As you can see, not all is lost when needing to have a ring cut off. There are goldsmiths who can take that damaged ring and repair it.

Not only can the ring be repaired and resized, it will also be polished up again to give it that brand new appearance!

3 rings soldered back together to create the completed wedding set.

Three rings soldered back together. If you have a ring that needs to be cut off, contact a goldsmith first to see what they recommend. If all else fails, the ring can be cut off and repaired later.

Remaking A Destroyed Ring

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*A wedding ring completed smashed and bent out of shape.*

I always welcome the chance to restore or remake a destroyed wedding ring. There is something super fun about taking on a project like this.

Many people wonder if a ring can be fixed after it has been smashed or sustained a lot of damage. This post will detail the process of how to remake a destroyed piece of jewelry.

*When attempting the pull the smashed ring apart, the ring snapped in one of the weak spots.*

My original plan was to just melt the ring down and roll it out, then bend it to a ring shape. This could have worked but I wanted to create something seamless and perfect— something that was nearly identical to the original.

I determined that due to the extensive damage the ring sustained, it would be best to cast a whole new ring using the existing materials.

Replicating The Design

*CAD can be used to replicate or design a piece of jewelry with exactness.*

The first step in recreating a destroyed ring is to try to figure out the exact dimensions of the original. In this case, the destroyed ring had plenty of areas where I could measure the exact width and thickness of the ring.

Once the measurements had been taken, the ring was redesigned. Typically this can be done with CAD or by carving a wax by hand. I prefer CAD due to the exactness you can achieve.

Wax Ring Model

Whether you carve a ring model by hand, use a milling machine, or print the jewelry model with a 3-D printer, the final wax model should be ready for casting.

A sprue is attached to the ring that jets out from the surface. This will be used to attach the ring to a base or casting tree.

*Attaching a sprue to the wax with a wax pen.*

The wax model is attached to a base, or “sprued up” as is casting terminology. A wax pen is used to melt the wax and fuse the sprue and the ring model together.

Investing

*Investment powder is weighed on a scale This measurement will be used to fill the flask which holds the ring.*

*Water is added to the investment and stirred in.*

*The wax ring model is enclosed inside of a flask.*

*Investment is poured into the flask. Within a few hours the investment has completely hardened.*

The Burnout

Once the investment has completely hardened, the rubber base is removed and the flask is put into the oven. What happens next is called the “burnout cycle.”

During the burnout cycle the temperature inside the oven ramps up in increments. During this time the wax ring model completely melts and burns out of the flask. Any residual wax is emptied into the wax tray below the flask.

Once the burn out cycle is complete, the flask is brought to casting temperature and is placed in a vacuum casting machine.

Melting & Casting

*The original destroyed ring laying in a crucible.*

*Refined gold is added to the original ring.*

To ensure the new cast is clean and free of defect, “fresh” refined gold is added to the original destroyed ring. It’s always a good idea to add at least 50% refined gold when doing a new casting with existing metal.

A hot flame is applied to the gold sitting in the crucible. Once the gold melts to liquid form, it is then poured into the flask!

Remember the wax model that used to be in the flask? Well that was burned out, leaving a cavity in the investment for the gold to flow into!

*Molten gold fills the void left by the melted wax ring model.*

Molten gold is poured into the flask, perfectly fills the void and assumes the shape of the original wax ring model.

A bit of excess gold is needed to fill the sprue portion. The rest forms a “button”. It’s always good to use a bit extra metal when casting to ensure the jewelry piece comes out as a complete cast.

Finish & Polishing

*The sprue and button are cut off using a jewelers saw.*

*An inside ring grinder is used to achieve a smooth inside surface.*

*A fine sanding disc is used on the outside to smooth the gold and bring the casting out of it’s rough state.*

*A hand tool is used to bring the ring to a semi-polish before it goes to the polishing machine.*

*A lapidary is used to create nice crisp edges on the sides of the ring.*

*The inside ring finger creates a smooth and comfortable surface on the inside of the ring.*

The final polishing wheel smooths out the entire piece and brings it to a high shine.

The Final Result

The completed ring! It’s always such a joy to take a destroyed wedding ring and make it new again.

It doesn’t matter if your ring is smashed, destroyed, or broken—As long as it was made with precious metals such as gold, there’s always hope!

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: “I have a ruined ring that I haven’t worn in a long time. Can it be fixed?”

A: Probably! There are many ways to expertly repair jewelry. Worst case scenario, stones and metal can be harvested and used to redesign or remake your ring. Send us a picture of your ruined jewelry for a free quote.

Q: “How much will it cost to repair my broken jewelry?”

A: This entirely depends on what is wrong! Go ahead and contact us and explain what is wrong, we will be happy to give you a free quote!

Ring Got Ran Over: Full Restoration

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BEFORE (1 of 3): Ring got got ran over! Thankfully the damage was not as bad as it could have been. As you can see a diamond popped out, and the center stone sustained an internal fracture in the corner.

BEFORE (2 of 3): The gold supports were all bent up!

BEFORE (3 of 3) It’s looking pretty smushed! You can see the diamond halo is also dipping.

STEP 1: Remove the center stone.

Since there is going to be a lot of reshaping going on, let’s remove the center stone. We will also be able to better access certain areas of the ring. Slowly pull back on all four prongs to loosen the stone.

The stone is Removed! Hello gold support bars.

Step 2: Round Out The Ring.

The ring was placed on a mandrel and slid upwards until it was tight. You can see here that the ring shank itself is also bent out of shape. This will need to be addressed at a later point in time.

Step 3: Clamp The Ring In A Vice.

Clamping the ring in a vice is a great way to free up both hands, it also keeps the ring completely still, thus allowing you to better manipulate the gold as needed.

Step 4: Reshape The Halo.

Using needle-nose pliers, work them underneath the halo and slowly pulled upwards. You want to be careful that the top of the ring does not get damaged as you are searching for leverage.

Step 5: Straighten the support bars.

This is probably the trickiest step in this repair. Put pressure on the backside of the support and gradually squeeze until the metal starts moving. Again, be mindful not to ding the top too much. Due to the fact that this is such a delicate ring setting, it can be expected that the ring will never be fully “perfect” again after sustaining such damage. We should however be able to restore it to a point where it can look good and be worn comfortably!

Symmetry has been restored! While not perfect, it is certainly much better than it was, and won’t be noticeable when the ring is worn on a finger.

Step 6: Replace and Set the missing diamond, tighten all other stones.

Lay a new diamond in the area where it was missing, take a beading tool and push towards the stone, thus securing metal all around the diamond. Repeat this process on all of the stones! While many stones were not lost, there are bound to be many loose after sustaining the damage from the car. The process of reshaping the ring can also potentially loosen stones.

Step 7: Straighten out the ring shank.

Using a hammer, lay the ring on a flat surface and tap the ring flat. Flip the ring over and repeat the process.

Step 8: Use a fine sanding wheel to remove stretches.

This is part of the “pre-polish” stage where scratches and tool marks are removed from the ring. Make sure you use a fine grit as to not remove too much metal.

Step 9: Use a brush wheel to get into all of the finer areas of the ring.

This polishing brush works wonders to brighten up the ring.

Polishing Continued…

The Final Result:

Step 10: Reset the center stone, clean and steam.

Resetting the center stone is basically the reverse process of removing it. Use stone setting pliers to pull the prongs back down over the stone. I think it’s great to retain the original center stone even though it was slightly damaged. In my opinion it gives it character.

The ring restoration is Complete! (1 of 2)

(2 of 2) All done!

Being a goldsmith is a very rewarding career for me. I enjoy being able to work on new projects on a consistent basis, and the opportunity to share them with you!

Thanks for reading!

For all custom jewelry and repair inquiries, please contact us.