Mid-Century Jade and Onyx Inlay Earring Repair
Mid-century 14k gold earrings with carved jade and onyx with diamond and rubies.
This client came to me with these mid-century carved jade and onyx earrings set in 14k gold. He wanted to have them repaired for his wife so she could actually wear them since three out of the four
He also wanted me to replace the clip-on mechanism with something more comfortable.
First, I started by removing the onyx banding and the aged epoxy holding it in. I also removed the carved jade centerpieces since those wouldn’t be able to withstand the soldering process. I also removed the clip on mechanism.
I then soldered on new 14k gold French ear wires on the back. I included silicone ear backing so that my client’s wife could snug the earring on her ear nicely and it would be infinitely more comfortable than the previous clips.
Now I can focus on cutting and carving the new onyx border stones for this piece. This required some special tools to carve the organic, flowing shapes the stones need to match the design.
Here is an in-progress shot of an onyx inlay jewelry repair.
There is no room for error with cutting these pieces of onyx as they need to fit the shape of the organic-shaped earring perfectly. I also needed to carve notches in the onyx to make room for the gold prongs that hold the jade centerpiece.
Once the carving is done, I domed and polished the surface of the stones before setting all of the stones again and the repair is complete!
These are the finished earrings with the newly re-cut onyx and new earring posts on them.
Do you have an intricate inlay jewelry repair that needs some TLC?
Learn more about my inlay jewelry repair process by clicking the link below, or get a quote today by filling out the form.