Couple of questions about jewelry

I am wondering when craftsmanship comes into play when coming up with a value. I see pieces with sloppy bezel work or puddles of solder not cleaned up but no mention of it when talking price.

Similarly, I have some necklaces and earrings that need repair or re-working to make them wearable - will I ruin the value of the pieces with simple repairs? For example, I have some jaclas that desperately need restringing.

Thoughts? Thanks!

I would be very cautious about restringing Jaclas - you may erase a large portion of their value. A huge portion of value in vintage pieces is the evidence of age and Native craftsmanship, and if you restring without using the correct materials or techniques, they just become pretty beads. just my 2 cents.

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Thanks Jemez.

I assumed that may be the case. I guess I need to weigh the consequences- a pretty string of beads that reside in a box, or restring and enjoy them.

I’d only place value over useability if I was thinking of reselling. Otherwise, I’m not enjoying the piece if I can’t wear it. Jewelry is too expensive and exquisite to sit in a box, never seen, IMO.

If you’re looking to repair, invest the time to find someone who is familiar with native work and will do it right, and keep it as true to style and method as you can get.

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I agree. Jewelry in a box that cannot be worn and enjoyed is sad.
A lot would depend on the age and value of the piece.
Does it need to be restrung due to damage or is the stringing material becoming frayed?

Repairs can be tricky to maintain the integrity of the piece. Definitely find someone who knows what they ae doing.

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You’ll be fine if you get the right repair person. The high-end, trusted websites we all admire do this fairly routinely with old and fragile jewelry (all sorts of restoration repair in addition to restringing). There are plenty of buyers who don’t mind it if the goods are truly ready to wear vs. a headache to manage.

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