Repairs & Maintenance
At Charles Koll, we offer several different repairs to meet your needs including: ring resizing, chain repair, watch bracelet refurbishing, and stone tightening.
Same Day Resizing
Ring Resizing
Often times that perfect ring you just purchased isn’t the right size. With four highly skilled goldsmiths on staff we can often get you fitted same day.
Find out moreChain Repair
Repair A Broken Link
It’s also entirely possible to repair a link that has been broken. This involves using a small amount of solder and a fine touch to heat the broken link just enough to melt the solder into place and without melting the surrounding links. Our experienced and well-trained jewelers have spent years doing repairs such as this that require a delicate touch. By using state of the art laser welders our artisans have perfected this process.
Add or Replace A Link
If you have lost, broken or need to increase the size of an existing chain we can do that by replicating links to match. Depending on the type of chain, the replacement link may need to be created out of specially shaped wire or be shaped in a specific fashion to match the remaining links in the chain. By using both hand fabrication and CAD/CAM methods we guarantee a beautifully matched link on every chain, bracelet or necklace. If the chain has been antiqued or had other processes done to change the surface appearance, we will need to replicate that process on that link so that it matches the rest of the chain. Often times refurbishing the entire chain is necessary and gives your chain a near new appearance.
How To Prevent A Broken Chain
Don’t put too much weight on it; if you have a specific pendant you like to wear, talk to one of our jewelers about finding a suitable chain to wear it on that will bear the weight better. If you are engaged in activities where it may be snagged or pulled, tuck it under your clothing or take it off entirely to prevent any accidental breakage. The best way to keep your chain flawless is by not breaking it in the first place.
It’s also entirely possible to repair a link that has been broken. This involves using a small amount of solder and a fine touch to heat the broken link just enough to melt the solder into place and without melting the surrounding links. Our experienced and well-trained jewelers have spent years doing repairs such as this that require a delicate touch. By using state of the art laser welders our artisans have perfected this process.
If you have lost, broken or need to increase the size of an existing chain we can do that by replicating links to match. Depending on the type of chain, the replacement link may need to be created out of specially shaped wire or be shaped in a specific fashion to match the remaining links in the chain. By using both hand fabrication and CAD/CAM methods we guarantee a beautifully matched link on every chain, bracelet or necklace. If the chain has been antiqued or had other processes done to change the surface appearance, we will need to replicate that process on that link so that it matches the rest of the chain. Often times refurbishing the entire chain is necessary and gives your chain a near new appearance.
Don’t put too much weight on it; if you have a specific pendant you like to wear, talk to one of our jewelers about finding a suitable chain to wear it on that will bear the weight better. If you are engaged in activities where it may be snagged or pulled, tuck it under your clothing or take it off entirely to prevent any accidental breakage. The best way to keep your chain flawless is by not breaking it in the first place.
Watch Bracelet Refurbishing
Watch bracelets are popular on both women’s and men’s watches. Over time, especially if worn daily the bracelets become dull, scratched, dinged and can have bent links.
Frequently, old bracelet watch bands lose tension as the springs that keep the band tight wear out. The expert craftsmen at our jewelry service department can replace the worn springs so that your bracelet watch band fits snugly and works as if it were new. Heirlooms that have sentimental or high value are excellent candidates for bracelet refurbishing as are classic brands.
Clasps are another area where age causes looseness. If your watch bracelet clasp is loose, the experts in our service department can tighten them. Sometimes, clasps are difficult to open and close if they are small. We can help.
Because watches are often hitting objects and surfaces the links become bent. We can straighten bent links. Gouged and bent links are repaired or replaced.
We polish out scratches and other surface imperfections so that your watch bracelet has the same shine and luster as when originally manufactured.
The investment is refurbishing your watch bracelet in a watch such as a Rolex, Omega, or Tag Heuer costs a fraction of the price of a replacement. These classics and many other brands that are found in drawers or cabinets and have not been worn for years once refurbished makes you proud to wear again.
Often the crystal may become scratched. We cannot buff crystals that are made out of non-sapphire materials. Sapphire crystals can be buffed to look new again.
Contact UsTestimonials
John S.
Watch Refurb
"To my delight, not only did they meticulously restore its appearance, but they also revitalized its inner workings!"
Mary U.
Loose stone
When I noticed the stone in my ring was loose, I was immediately concerned. Entrusting it to their stone tightening service was the best decision. The team was professional and the repair was swift, making my ring secure and brilliantly sparkling again. Their expertise not only restored my ring but also my peace of mind. Exceptional service
Joshua A.
Broken Chain
After my favorite chain broke, I was devastated, thinking it might never be the same. But their quick and expert chain link repair work brought it back to life, looking as flawless as ever. The service was both professional and surprisingly fast, making it feel like I barely had to part with my cherished piece. Truly grateful for their skillful touch!
Stone Tightening
Today, the most popular way for setting a stone (attaching it) to a jewelry piece is by using prongs. But, it is not the only way. At one time bezel settings where the metal completely surrounds the stone were extremely popular, but modern fashion and metal working techniques have made the prong setting the fashionable and functional choice of most jewelry designs.
If you notice you have a loose stone, bring it to us. Professional jewelers make sure your stone is properly reset to keep your jewelry safe and wearable for years to come.
Rings are the most common jewelry pieces to need stone tightening because rings tend to get knocked into objects and eventually settings loosen. Prong style settings are more likely to need repair than bezel settings because prongs are more delicate and are easier to bend or spread resulting in a loose stone.
As as independent retail jeweler we keep a modern repair facility on premise staffed by experienced craftsman. Prices are very affordable and stone tightening is usually done while you wait.
Even if your setting is not one of ours we are happy to repair it. Do not take gamble with your jewelry, tighten loose stones without delay so you do not lose it.
Contact UsJewelry Cleaning
Restore the Sparkle
Do you have jewelry you’re afraid to clean because it has fragile gemstones or designs? Maybe you’ve noticed lately that your ring just doesn’t have the same sparkle it once did. Whatever your reason, we offer professional jewelry cleaning services that will give your jewelry its original sparkle back without damaging it in the process. We use a range of different cleaning techniques depending on the type of jewelry and gemstones being cleaned.
Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaning
Ultrasonic jewelry cleaning techniques are fairly common and involve using water or a liquid solution and ultrasonic sound waves to create tiny bubbles that remove small particles of dirt and oil. When your jewelry is submerged in this liquid, the bubbles attack the dirt and oil on your jewelry, cleaning it in areas that would not otherwise be easily accessible. This cleaning technique is the most common way to clean fine jewelry, including precious metals and a variety of gemstones including diamonds and an assortment of naturally-colored gemstones, and takes only a few minutes at our store.
Other Cleaning Techniques
Ultrasonic cleaning isn’t for all jewelry, though. Delicate designs, pieces that have been antiqued and some porous or treated gemstones, including pearls, amber, opals, onyx, emeralds and colored topaz can be damaged in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machine. Glued gemstones and loose stones can also come loose in this type of machine. There are a variety of techniques that can be used on these gemstones that jewelers learn about during their education and can help educate you on the care these special gemstones require to look their best.When you need to have your fine jewelry professionally cleaned, our jewelers have the skills and training needed to get the job done without causing damage to your beautiful and cherished pieces. We recommend you have your jewelry professionally cleaned on a regular basis to help maintain its natural beauty and sparkle.You can also come by our store for a free bottle of Charles Koll jewelry cleaner that has a cleaning solution and a fine brush that you can use at home to give your jewelry that extra sparkle before you wear it.
Do you have jewelry you’re afraid to clean because it has fragile gemstones or designs? Maybe you’ve noticed lately that your ring just doesn’t have the same sparkle it once did. Whatever your reason, we offer professional jewelry cleaning services that will give your jewelry its original sparkle back without damaging it in the process. We use a range of different cleaning techniques depending on the type of jewelry and gemstones being cleaned.
Ultrasonic jewelry cleaning techniques are fairly common and involve using water or a liquid solution and ultrasonic sound waves to create tiny bubbles that remove small particles of dirt and oil. When your jewelry is submerged in this liquid, the bubbles attack the dirt and oil on your jewelry, cleaning it in areas that would not otherwise be easily accessible. This cleaning technique is the most common way to clean fine jewelry, including precious metals and a variety of gemstones including diamonds and an assortment of naturally-colored gemstones, and takes only a few minutes at our store.
Ultrasonic cleaning isn’t for all jewelry, though. Delicate designs, pieces that have been antiqued and some porous or treated gemstones, including pearls, amber, opals, onyx, emeralds and colored topaz can be damaged in an ultrasonic jewelry cleaning machine. Glued gemstones and loose stones can also come loose in this type of machine. There are a variety of techniques that can be used on these gemstones that jewelers learn about during their education and can help educate you on the care these special gemstones require to look their best.When you need to have your fine jewelry professionally cleaned, our jewelers have the skills and training needed to get the job done without causing damage to your beautiful and cherished pieces. We recommend you have your jewelry professionally cleaned on a regular basis to help maintain its natural beauty and sparkle.You can also come by our store for a free bottle of Charles Koll jewelry cleaner that has a cleaning solution and a fine brush that you can use at home to give your jewelry that extra sparkle before you wear it.
Prong Retipping
When you have a truly cherished piece of jewelry, you want to know it will always be intact and secure. Let’s talk about how prong retipping helps keep your gemstones more secure in their settings so that future generations get the opportunity to cherish the special piece of jewelry.
There are a variety of settings for gemstones, but none are as popular as the prong setting. Using metal pieces coming up on the sides of the stone, these pieces hold the gemstone in place by acting like a clamp on the very edges of the stone. A solitaire engagement diamond is an excellent example of a prong setting. If your gem appears to be surrounded by a band of metal, you have a bezel style or channel style setting which involves a different type of repair.
When your setting begins to flatten out or bend, retipping is necessary. Our jewelers use a process that puts a new tip on the prong to securely hold your gemstones and prolong the life of your precious ring. Because of high torch temperatures used in the traditional soldering techniques we use our laser welding technique exclusively.There are a few things to be aware of, though. A replacement tip is never as strong as the original cast prong because you have now added a joint. For this reason, you’ll need to keep a closer eye on that special piece. It’s a good idea to have a retipped setting checked regularly by a jewelry professional every six months or if you are concerned that it is loosening up.
Contact UsJewlery Soldering or Laser Welding
What is Soldering
When a piece of jewelry is broken, we have a variety of techniques we can use to repair the break, including soldering and laser welding. But what is soldering? Soldering means to “join or unite” and in the jewelry craft, soldering means that we are using melted metal to join or unite one part of your jewelry with another part. Then what is laser welding? Instead of joining metals using solder often times laser welding can be used. Welding joins two pieces by melting both sides into a homogenous form creating a strong bond between the two sides.
Preparation
When we receive your piece we access the proper technique for your unique repair. We then do necessary preparation work to create a good seam to apply solder or to weld the sides together. We will remove any gemstones that can be damaged in the process because soldering requires heat and heat can damage some stones or embellishment. Many times it’s more appropriate to use a laser to prevent unnecessary damage that removing gemstones causes. If the piece has bends along the break, we will straighten them out and may file or otherwise augment the edges to create a good seam. We will clean the edges to be soldered or welded to help ensure they bond well because skin oils, dirt or other debris can prevent metal from joining where it needs to.
Soldering Techniques
There are a number of techniques that can be used to do the actual soldering, the laser soldering tool has an extremely precise focal point so that we don’t damage any surrounding areas and to form an extra strong bond. Often times necessary when tradition soldering is too close to a gemstone and may cause damage.
There are also traditional soldering techniques where the edges to be soldered are lined up, flux is placed on the seam, followed by a solder appropriate for the metal. Flux lowers the heat required to melt the solder and allows it to flow between the pieces to be joined. Unlike laser soldering, which uses a high pulse of energy, a jeweler’s delicate touch adds a fine flame to heat the joint. Trained jewelers know how much heat to apply to which pieces to get the solder to flow well and join the pieces while protecting the surrounding area.
Clean Up
After soldering is complete, the piece may be cleaned using a fluid to remove any remaining marks from the torch. All gem stones are returned to their settings, the jewelry is polished to a high luster, cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner and high powered steam and then piece is checked for any remaining repair signs. Now it’s time for you to enjoy your jewelry with the satisfaction that your it was repaired properly the first time by a true artisan.
When a piece of jewelry is broken, we have a variety of techniques we can use to repair the break, including soldering and laser welding. But what is soldering? Soldering means to “join or unite” and in the jewelry craft, soldering means that we are using melted metal to join or unite one part of your jewelry with another part. Then what is laser welding? Instead of joining metals using solder often times laser welding can be used. Welding joins two pieces by melting both sides into a homogenous form creating a strong bond between the two sides.
When we receive your piece we access the proper technique for your unique repair. We then do necessary preparation work to create a good seam to apply solder or to weld the sides together. We will remove any gemstones that can be damaged in the process because soldering requires heat and heat can damage some stones or embellishment. Many times it’s more appropriate to use a laser to prevent unnecessary damage that removing gemstones causes. If the piece has bends along the break, we will straighten them out and may file or otherwise augment the edges to create a good seam. We will clean the edges to be soldered or welded to help ensure they bond well because skin oils, dirt or other debris can prevent metal from joining where it needs to.
There are a number of techniques that can be used to do the actual soldering, the laser soldering tool has an extremely precise focal point so that we don’t damage any surrounding areas and to form an extra strong bond. Often times necessary when tradition soldering is too close to a gemstone and may cause damage.
There are also traditional soldering techniques where the edges to be soldered are lined up, flux is placed on the seam, followed by a solder appropriate for the metal. Flux lowers the heat required to melt the solder and allows it to flow between the pieces to be joined. Unlike laser soldering, which uses a high pulse of energy, a jeweler’s delicate touch adds a fine flame to heat the joint. Trained jewelers know how much heat to apply to which pieces to get the solder to flow well and join the pieces while protecting the surrounding area.
After soldering is complete, the piece may be cleaned using a fluid to remove any remaining marks from the torch. All gem stones are returned to their settings, the jewelry is polished to a high luster, cleaned using an ultrasonic cleaner and high powered steam and then piece is checked for any remaining repair signs. Now it’s time for you to enjoy your jewelry with the satisfaction that your it was repaired properly the first time by a true artisan.
Rhodium Plating
Rhodium dipping is another name for the technique usually known as rhodium plating. It is a process done by expert jewelry technicians, (and manufacturers) that coats one metal surface with a very small amount of another. When the technician dips jewelry into rhodium, an electric current bonds the rhodium to the piece of jewelry submerged into the rhodium solution.
Advantages Of Rhodium Plating
Manufacturers use rhodium plating of white gold jewelry to make white gold brighter with more rich sparkle. In addition, rhodium plating helps extend the life of your jewelry by adding a thin protective layer.
It easily turns a dull worn piece of jewelry into a piece of jewelry that is bright, shiny, and more appealing than it was before dipping.
People who have yellow gold jewelry often have these sentimental and often valuable pieces renewed by rhodium plating. Rhodium plating can be used on yellow gold but wears much quicker than white gold and is best used on pieces that aren’t worn everyday.
People with allergies to white gold or yellow gold enjoy their jewelry more after it has been rhodium dipped as it forms a hypoallergenic barrier between your skin and the jewelry.
Rhodium Is Not Permanent
For daily wear, the best yellow gold pieces to rhodium plate are bracelets, necklaces, and earrings, as they do not wear as quickly as a ring. Rings in general tend to wear more quickly than other jewelry as rings tend to bang against all types of surfaces during the day.
If your jewelry is white gold and begins to look dull, it is time to bring it in for a dipping. It is easier to tell when yellow gold needs another plating as you will see the yellow gold surrounded by rhodium.
Rhodium is an inexpensive way to refresh your white gold jewelry and make them look amazing.
Contact Us
11015 Sorrento Valley Rd
San Diego, CA 92121