Ring Repair & Restoration - Bring Your Ring Back to Life

Designing exquisite diamond and moissanite engagement and wedding rings in a variety of styles takes creativity, skill, and a steady hand. Repairing and restoring those fine jewelry pieces when damaged or worn, requires all that and more. Not only does Ben Garelick work with some of the finest jewelry designers in the world, we also have master craftsmen on staff ready to repair your ring or jewelry the right way, the first time. Our expert jewelers work with sterling silver, platinum, palladium, 18K, 14K, 10K, white, yellow or rose gold. And all of our jewelry repairs are completed on-site at our Buffalo, New York, jewelry store. To resize your ring, restore your favorite timeless piece, or re-mount gemstones, you can count on our expertise and impeccable customer service! Whether you need to delicately restore 18th-century filigree on a vintage-style ring, you need to repair a cracked shank, or you simply need a ring resized, you can trust the jewelers at Ben Garelick to return your ring or other jewelry looking just like new!

Experienced Jewelry Repair You Can Trust

At Ben Garelick, you can trust these three things:

You’re working with pros. Our jewelry repair designers have years of experience in repairing and designing all types of jewelry. And as professionals with a long history of providing customers with the finest jewelry in the country for more than 60 years, you can count on the fact that we use the latest techniques in jewelry repair and restoration - whether it’s laser welding or our prefabrication process.
Your jewelry is safe. Your jewelry is protected and never leaves Ben Garelick’s jewelry store location on Transit Road. We keep our premises secure 24/7 and only hire the most trusted professionals.
You’re our #1 priority. Whether you buy online or in-store, customers are like family and our only goal is to make sure we meet your fine jewelry needs, whatever they are.

What Are Common Wedding Ring Repairs?

Ring Resizing Options

Restoring your ring to the size that fits your finger is important - especially if it’s your wedding or engagement ring. There’s no need to keep special keepsakes in a drawer when Ben Garelick can resize your ring so you can wear it again. We have many sizing assistant options and would be happy to go over them with you to see which one is the right fit for you. Some of the more popular options include:

Hinged Shanks: If you have arthritis, Ben Garelick has options. We can add a new hinged shank so you can open up the ring and easily pass your swollen knuckle.
Sizing Beads: Another option for arthritic hands is sizing beads (or gold balls) that can help take up the extra space once you get the ring over your knuckle. Sizing beads also help keep a large diamond solitaire or other large diamond rings that are top-heavy from rotating on your finger.
Sizing Down: If your ring does rotate on your finger, a simple sizing down of ½ or a ¼ size might be needed instead of sizing beads. However, sometimes you need both and it’s best to bring your ring in so our jeweler can determine the best fit for you.

Ring Shank Repair & Replacement

A ring shank is the band part of your ring that goes around your finger. Sometimes, engagement and anniversary rings are made with a “split shank.” That means that on the outermost facing part of the ring, the band splits into two or three smaller strands that usually lead up to side diamonds or a center diamond, moissanite or gemstone. With years of wear and tear, your ring shank on the back can either wear away or crack and your split shank may bend or crack from an accident. We can repair or restore your ring to its original beauty and functionality.

Half-Shank Ring Replacement: If the backside of your ring is too thin after years of use it, you may need a new half-shank. If you let it go, because it is so thin the shank will eventually crack. Ben Garelick can remove the old shank and replace it with a brand-new shank in yellow, white or rose gold, palladium, or platinum, to match your ring perfectly.
Cracked Ring Repair: If the back of your ring has worn down so much that the band has cracked, you may need cracked ring repair. The cost of cracked ring repair can vary depending on the complexity of the repair needed. It can be a simple solder service, starting at $35, or, if the shank is too thin resulting from long-term wear, you would have to replace it with a new half shank.

Prong-Retipping, Build-Up & Head Replacement

Most people wear their wedding and engagement rings 24/7 and that can mean the likely chance of ring abuse. Whether you hit your ring accidentally on a car door or scratch it against a rough surface, the prongs that hold your diamonds or gemstones will eventually wear down and you will need them either re-tipped or built-up to full prongs again to securely hold the stone(s). This can happen with the prongs on the side diamonds of your ring or with the prongs that hold your center diamond or moissanite stone, called the head. Prongs on the outside of your ring tend to wear down the fastest.

Ring Retipping or Build-Up: If any of the prongs in your ring are slightly worn down, don’t risk losing your precious gems! Call Ben Garelick to retip the prongs. Retipping is one of the most common jewelry repairs at Ben Garelick. Retipping involves building up the worn-down prongs on your ring by attaching a wire or metal bead over the top of the worn-out prong. Your Ben Garelick repair expert can use this process to build-up the prongs until they look just like new!
Ring Head Replacement: If the prongs on your ring are so worn that building them up will not be cost effective, or if your ring is missing or needing retipping of two or three prongs, it probably makes more sense to replace the entire head of the ring with the prongs to ensure strength and durability that will last years.

Diamond-Tightening

Sometimes, when a prong has moved or bent on the head, we can move it back to tighten your center stone using our special tools and taking care not to break the prong. If you think you have a loose center diamond or moissanite or loose side gemstones, stop wearing your ring and call our jewelry repair experts. It will save you from having to replace your valuable diamond later when it falls out!

Channel Restoration

A channel-set ring contains a cutout in the ring shaft or band in which diamonds or other gemstones are set to add a flash of sparkle around the center diamond(s). Sometimes the walls in a channel-set ring will get thin over time or damaged from a severe direct hit. We can restore your wedding band to its original beauty and strength by building up the side metal for a clean, effective channel look.

Bridge Restoration

Engagement or anniversary rings that are set in a bridge setting have part of the shank or band underneath the raised, usually arched, head that holds the center diamond. Sometimes, this bridge underneath the center diamond will become weak and needs a full restoration or rebuilding. This will likely happen if the ring wasn’t originally made well or after MANY years of hard wear on the ring. As always, Ben Garelick will provide a firm estimate before we do any work and the result will be a structurally sound ring that will last many years after the repair.

Custom-Built Rings With Existing Gemstones

There may be occasions when you have a ring or piece of jewelry that is so worn or damaged it would not be cost-effective to repair or restore to its original design. Or, you may have inherited diamond rings or have one that you no longer wear. For all of these reasons, the jewelry designers at Ben Garelick are experts at creating fresh, new custom-built rings using a design you select from our galleries or one you create yourself! We can also match a design you furnish. For example, if you’ve lost one of your heirloom diamond earrings from your mother, our designers can use the one you have to recreate a second one to match that will uphold the sentiment of your original pair. No need to purchase your loose diamonds from an unknown retailer. Because we sell loose diamonds, moissanite, and gemstones, we often have just what you’re looking for when you’re ready to replace your center stone or use our trade-up policy. Our experts can walk you through the diamond buying process and help you select the perfect gemstone.

Get A Free Ring Repair Estimate From The Experts At Ben Garelick

We want to help you take care of the most meaningful jewelry you own. One way we help is by offering lifetime cleaning for any jewelry purchased in-store or online at Ben Garelick. You should have your ring regularly inspected and cleaned by a professional jeweler twice a year to prevent broken or damaged prongs and ensure there are no shank cracks. If you need any repairs on your existing wedding or engagement ring or other fine jewelry, or if you've recently inherited or purchased a fine jewelry piece you would like it restored to its original beauty, give the experts at Ben Garelick a call at (716) 631-1584 or stop by our Buffalo, New York, jewelry store location. We’re happy to take a look at your jewelry repair or restoration project and give you a free, fair estimate of the cost to make it like new. When you get it back you won’t be able to tell it’s not the original! That’s a sign of a great repair! Looking forward to serving you soon!