Can You Repair Costume Jewelry?

By Motek Jewelryאַפּריל 04, 2025

There it sits in your jewelry box—a once-beloved piece of costume jewelry now tarnished, broken, or missing stones. Perhaps it's a vintage brooch inherited from your grandmother, a statement necklace that perfectly complements your favorite outfit, or those earrings that always garnered compliments. The sentimental value might be high, but the actual cost was relatively low. Now you're faced with a dilemma: is it worth repairing costume jewelry, or should you simply discard it and purchase something new?

Costume jewelry, also known as fashion jewelry, has been adorning our outfits for centuries. Unlike fine jewelry made from precious metals and gemstones, costume pieces are crafted from more affordable materials like base metals, glass, plastic, and synthetic stones. Despite their lower price point, many costume jewelry pieces are beautifully designed, hold sentimental value, or may even be collectible vintage items worth more than you might expect.

In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore the world of costume jewelry repair, helping you determine what's worth fixing, what you can repair yourself, when to seek professional help, and when it might be time to say goodbye to a beloved accessory.

Understanding Costume Jewelry: Materials and Construction

Before deciding whether to repair a piece of costume jewelry, it's helpful to understand what it's made of and how it's constructed. This knowledge will inform your repair decisions and expectations.

Common Materials in Costume Jewelry

Costume jewelry encompasses a wide range of materials, each with its own characteristics and repair challenges:

Base Metals: Most costume jewelry frames and settings are made from inexpensive metals like brass, copper, nickel, or zinc alloys. These metals are often plated with a thin layer of gold, silver, or rhodium to give them a more luxurious appearance. This plating can wear off over time, exposing the base metal underneath, which may tarnish, oxidize, or cause skin reactions in some people.

Glass and Plastic Stones: Instead of diamonds, rubies, or sapphires, costume jewelry typically features glass, crystal (like Swarovski), or plastic stones. These can be faceted to mimic the sparkle of genuine gemstones or molded into various shapes and colors. While they lack the durability of real gemstones, quality glass stones can be quite beautiful and surprisingly resilient.

Enamel and Epoxy: Many costume pieces feature colorful enamel work or epoxy coatings. These can chip, crack, or fade over time, especially when exposed to heat, chemicals, or UV light.

Pearls and Beads: Faux pearls in costume jewelry are typically made from glass or plastic coated with a pearlescent finish. Other beads might be made from wood, plastic, glass, or various other materials. Stringing materials range from cotton thread to fishing line to wire.

Findings and Closures: The functional parts of jewelry—clasps, earring posts, pin backs, jump rings—are often the first to fail. In costume jewelry, these are typically made from base metals that may bend, break, or corrode over time.

Construction Techniques

Costume jewelry is manufactured using various techniques, each with different implications for repair:

Casting: Many metal components are cast in molds, creating solid pieces that can be quite durable but difficult to repair if broken.

Soldering and Gluing: Parts may be joined together using solder (a metal alloy) or various adhesives. Soldered joints can break, and glue can deteriorate over time.

Prong, Bezel, and Channel Settings: Stones may be held in place by metal prongs, bezels (metal rims), or channels. Prongs can bend or break, while bezels and channels may loosen.

Wire Wrapping: Some designs use wire to connect components or create decorative elements. Wire can bend, break, or unravel.

Stringing: Beaded necklaces and bracelets are typically strung on thread, fishing line, or wire, which can stretch, fray, or break.

Understanding these materials and techniques will help you assess whether a repair is feasible and what approach might work best.

Common Costume Jewelry Problems and Their Fixes

Now that we understand what we're working with, let's explore common issues that plague costume jewelry and how they might be addressed.

Tarnish and Discoloration

Perhaps the most common complaint about costume jewelry is tarnishing—that dull, darkened appearance that develops on metal surfaces. This occurs when the metal reacts with oxygen, sulfur, or other elements in the air or on your skin.

DIY Solutions: For light tarnish on metal parts without stones or delicate components, you can try gentle cleaning methods. A soft cloth with a bit of mild soap and water often works well. For more stubborn tarnish, a jewelry polishing cloth designed for costume jewelry might help. Some people swear by toothpaste (non-gel, non-whitening) applied gently with a soft cloth or cotton swab, then rinsed thoroughly.

For silver-toned pieces, a silver polishing cloth can work wonders. For gold-toned items, specialized gold polishing cloths are available. Remember to be gentle—you're working with thin plating that can wear off with aggressive cleaning.

Professional Options: Professional jewelry cleaners have access to ultrasonic cleaners and specialized solutions that can remove tarnish without damaging the piece. However, this service might cost more than the jewelry is worth unless it's a special piece.

Worth Fixing? Generally, cleaning tarnish is worth attempting yourself before considering replacement. If the piece has sentimental value or is a quality vintage item, professional cleaning might be worthwhile. However, if the plating has worn off extensively, revealing a different-colored metal underneath, replating might be necessary—a process that often costs more than the original piece.

Broken Chains and Stringing

Broken chains, necklaces, and bracelets are among the most fixable costume jewelry problems.

DIY Solutions: For simple chain breaks, you might be able to open and close jump rings using two pairs of pliers. Chain repair kits are available at craft stores and online, containing various sizes of jump rings and clasps along with the tools needed to work with them.

For beaded pieces, restringing is often straightforward with the right materials. You'll need appropriate stringing material (fishing line, beading wire, or thread), possibly crimp beads to secure the ends, and a new clasp if the original is damaged. Beading needles can help thread smaller beads.

Professional Options: Jewelers and bead shops often offer restringing services at reasonable prices, especially for simple designs. For more complex patterns or if you're uncertain about doing it yourself, this can be a good option.

Worth Fixing? Chain and string repairs are usually worth doing, as the cost of materials for DIY is low, and even professional restringing is often reasonable compared to replacing a beloved piece. This is especially true for vintage pieces or items with unique beads that would be difficult to replace.

Loose or Missing Stones

Few things are more disappointing than discovering a favorite piece of jewelry is missing a stone or has stones that rattle loosely in their settings.

DIY Solutions: If you still have the stone, reattaching it might be possible with jewelry glue (E6000 and G-S Hypo Cement are popular choices). Clean both the stone and setting thoroughly before applying a tiny amount of glue. Use a toothpick for precision, and be careful not to get glue on visible surfaces.

For prong settings, if the prongs are just bent (not broken), you might carefully bend them back into position using tweezers or small pliers. Work gently to avoid breaking the prongs.

If the stone is missing, replacement stones can be purchased from craft stores or online suppliers. Bring the piece with you or measure carefully to ensure you get the right size and shape.

Professional Options: Jewelers can reset stones more securely than most DIYers, using proper tools and techniques. They can also source matching replacement stones if needed.

Worth Fixing? This depends on the piece's value to you and the cost of the repair. For a special piece with sentimental value, professional stone setting might be worth the expense. For everyday costume jewelry, DIY solutions are often adequate if you're careful. If multiple stones are missing from an inexpensive piece, replacement might be more practical than repair.

Broken Clasps, Earring Backs, and Other Findings

Functional components like clasps, earring posts, pin backs, and jump rings are common failure points in costume jewelry.

DIY Solutions: Replacement findings are readily available at craft stores and online. With basic tools like pliers and wire cutters, you can often replace these components yourself. Look for tutorials specific to the type of finding you're replacing, as techniques vary.

For earrings with broken posts or wires, conversion kits allow you to transform them into clip-ons or vice versa. This can give new life to earrings that would otherwise be unwearable.

Professional Options: Jewelers can replace findings quickly and professionally, often while you wait for simple repairs.

Worth Fixing? Absolutely! Replacing a finding is usually inexpensive and can completely restore a piece's functionality. This is one of the most cost-effective repairs for costume jewelry.

Broken Metal Components

When metal parts of costume jewelry break—a pendant snaps in half, a decorative element cracks, or a setting breaks—repair becomes more challenging.

DIY Solutions: For clean breaks in metal components without stones or other delicate elements, you might attempt repair with two-part epoxy or specialized metal adhesive. These create strong bonds but aren't always aesthetically pleasing.

Some crafters have success with soldering, but this requires specific tools and skills, and the heat can damage nearby components or change the color of plated surfaces.

Professional Options: Jewelers can sometimes solder broken metal parts, but many won't bother with costume pieces due to the low value and high risk of damage during repair. If they do agree, expect to pay more than the piece is likely worth from a purely financial perspective.

Worth Fixing? This is where the decision gets tougher. For most costume jewelry with broken metal components, replacement is more practical than repair unless the piece has significant sentimental or collectible value. The exception would be simple breaks in otherwise valuable vintage pieces, which might justify professional repair.

Faded or Damaged Enamel

Enamel work adds beautiful color to jewelry but can chip, crack, or fade over time.

DIY Solutions: Minor enamel chips can sometimes be touched up with enamel paint designed for jewelry or model making. This requires a steady hand and careful color matching. Clear nail polish can sometimes be used to seal and protect damaged areas, though it won't replace missing enamel.

Professional Options: Professional re-enameling is a specialized skill and can be expensive. Few jewelers offer this service for costume pieces.

Worth Fixing? For most costume jewelry, extensive enamel repair isn't cost-effective. However, for collectible vintage pieces (like certain Trifari or Weiss items), professional restoration might be worthwhile. For minor chips in beloved pieces, DIY touch-ups can extend their wearable life.

When to DIY vs. Seek Professional Help

Now that we've covered common problems and potential solutions, let's discuss how to decide whether to attempt repairs yourself or seek professional assistance.

Consider DIY When:

The repair is straightforward: Replacing a clasp, restringing a simple necklace, or gluing a loose stone are all manageable for most people with basic dexterity.

You have the right tools and materials: Basic jewelry repair tools include needle-nose pliers, wire cutters, tweezers, and appropriate adhesives. If you already have these or are willing to invest in them for multiple repairs, DIY becomes more cost-effective.

The piece has low monetary value but high personal value: When a piece isn't worth much financially but means a lot to you, DIY repair makes sense even if the results aren't perfect.

You enjoy crafting and learning new skills: Jewelry repair can be satisfying and might become a useful hobby.

Seek Professional Help When:

The piece has significant value: Vintage costume jewelry from designers like Miriam Haskell, Trifari, or Schiaparelli can be quite valuable. Professional repair preserves this value better than amateur attempts.

The repair requires specialized skills or equipment: Soldering, stone setting, or metal fabrication often requires training and tools most people don't have at home.

The piece has sentimental value and you're not confident in your repair skills: Sometimes it's worth paying for professional work to ensure a treasured piece is properly preserved.

The repair involves safety concerns: Earring posts and backs, in particular, need to be secure and skin-safe. Professional replacement might be wise for these items.

What Makes a Piece Worth Repairing?

With all these considerations in mind, how do you decide whether a particular piece of costume jewelry is worth fixing? Here are some factors to weigh:

Sentimental Value

Perhaps the most compelling reason to repair costume jewelry is its emotional significance. The brooch your mother wore every Sunday, the necklace you purchased on a memorable vacation, or the earrings you wore on your wedding day—these pieces carry memories that far outweigh their monetary value. For such items, even relatively expensive repairs might be justified.

Collectible or Vintage Value

Some costume jewelry has significant value to collectors. Pieces by renowned designers like Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli, Miriam Haskell, or companies like Trifari and Weiss can command high prices, especially if in good condition. Before discarding a vintage piece, consider researching its potential value. Look for designer marks or signatures, which are often found on the back of pieces or on clasps.

Uniqueness and Replaceability

Consider whether you could easily find a similar piece. If the jewelry has a unique design that perfectly matches a special outfit or expresses your personal style in a way you haven't found elsewhere, repair might make more sense than replacement.

Cost-Benefit Analysis

Practically speaking, compare the cost of repair to the cost of replacement. If a professional repair would cost significantly more than buying a new, similar piece, replacement might be the logical choice—unless sentimental or collectible value tips the scales.

Environmental Considerations

In our increasingly environmentally conscious world, repairing rather than replacing can be an ethical choice that reduces waste. Extending the life of items you already own reduces the demand for new production and keeps materials out of landfills.

Preventative Care: Making Your Costume Jewelry Last Longer

Whether you've just repaired a piece or want to prevent damage to your collection, proper care can significantly extend the life of costume jewelry.

Storage Solutions

How you store your jewelry dramatically affects its longevity:

Separate pieces to prevent tangling and scratching: Individual pouches, compartmentalized boxes, or even egg cartons can keep pieces from damaging each other.

Control humidity: Excessive moisture accelerates tarnishing. Silica gel packets placed in jewelry boxes can help absorb humidity.

Avoid extreme temperatures: Heat can warp plastic components and damage adhesives, while cold can make some materials brittle.

Keep away from sunlight: UV exposure can fade colored components and damage certain materials.

Wearing and Handling Practices

How you wear and handle your jewelry also impacts its lifespan:

Put jewelry on last when getting dressed: Apply cosmetics, perfume, and hairspray before putting on jewelry to avoid chemical exposure.

Remove jewelry before swimming, showering, or exercising: Chlorine, salt water, sweat, and soap can all damage costume jewelry.

Take off jewelry before sleeping: Pressure and friction during sleep can bend or break delicate pieces.

Handle gently: Pick up pieces by their sturdiest components, not by delicate chains or prongs.

Regular Maintenance

A little routine care goes a long way:

Wipe pieces with a soft cloth after wearing: This removes oils, moisture, and any chemicals from your skin.

Inspect regularly for loose stones or components: Catching problems early makes repairs easier and prevents loss.

Apply clear nail polish to areas prone to tarnishing: A thin coat on areas that contact skin can prevent reactions and slow tarnishing. (Test on an inconspicuous area first.)

Consider periodic professional cleaning: For valuable pieces, professional cleaning every few years can prevent buildup that leads to damage.

When to Let Go: Knowing When Repair Isn't Worth It

Despite our best efforts and attachment to certain pieces, sometimes repair simply isn't practical. Here are signs it might be time to say goodbye:

Extensive damage requiring multiple repairs: When a piece needs several different types of repair, costs can quickly exceed any reasonable value.

Irreplaceable components: If key decorative elements are missing and can't be matched, repair may result in a piece that no longer has the same appeal.

Severe metal fatigue: When metal has been bent repeatedly, it becomes brittle and prone to breaking again, even after repair.

Allergic reactions: If a piece consistently causes skin irritation, it might contain metals you're sensitive to. While coating with clear nail polish sometimes helps, it's often better to part with pieces that cause discomfort.

No longer suits your style: Sometimes we hold onto jewelry out of habit rather than because we truly enjoy wearing it. If you haven't worn a piece in years and don't anticipate doing so, consider whether it's taking up space that could be used for items you love.

Creative Alternatives to Traditional Repair

When conventional repair isn't feasible but you can't bear to part with a piece, consider these creative alternatives:

Repurposing: Transform broken pieces into something new. Brooches can become pendants, single earrings can be turned into charms, and beads from broken necklaces can be restrung in new patterns.

Jewelry collage or mosaic: Broken pieces with sentimental value can be incorporated into framed artwork or decorative boxes.

Display rather than wear: Some damaged pieces can still be beautiful as displayed objects. Consider mounting special pieces in shadow boxes or on decorative stands.

Partial salvage: Sometimes you can save the best parts of a piece and incorporate them into new jewelry or decorative items.

Conclusion: Making Informed Decisions About Your Costume Jewelry

Deciding whether to repair costume jewelry ultimately comes down to balancing practical considerations with emotional attachment. There's no universal right answer—a repair that makes perfect sense for one person might seem foolish to another.

By understanding the materials and construction of your pieces, familiarizing yourself with common repair techniques, and honestly assessing both the monetary and sentimental value of your jewelry, you can make choices that feel right for you.

Remember that costume jewelry, despite its name, isn't merely disposable fashion. Many pieces represent significant design artistry, historical craftsmanship, or personal memories that deserve preservation when possible. At the same time, knowing when to let go of damaged pieces can free you from clutter and allow you to focus on jewelry you truly love and wear.

Whether you choose to develop your own repair skills, seek professional help, or simply make more informed purchasing decisions going forward, I hope this guide helps you enjoy your costume jewelry collection for many years to come.