Native American Jewelry Repair – Watch for Upcoming Series

Repairing Native American Jewelry

We receive many queries from customers and readers who have a Native American jewelry item that they want repaired.

There is a difference between repair and restoration.

If a bracelet has a break in one of the sterling silver wire bands and you want that break fixed so you can wear the bracelet, that is an example of a repair.

If you have inherited a vintage squash blossom necklace which has lost two stones and has several crushed blossoms, and you want it to be fixed so that it looks like it did originally, that would be an example of a restoration.

Repairing an adjustable chip inlay ring, that only cost $10 originally, could be cost prohibitive – unless the ring is so dear to you that cost is not an issue.

However, with a vintage belt buckle that your grandfather wore every day and passed along to your father and now he to you  – that might be a different story. The restoration might be costly but could result in an irreplaceable heirloom.

Any repairs to Native American jewelry should be done by craftsmen experienced specifically in Native American jewelry techniques and who have access to materials commonly use in Native American jewelry.

To help you learn about repairs and restoration, I’m partnering with a friend in Arizona who heads up a top notch repair service (see contact information below). Watch for the first in our series of repair articles coming soon ! Paula