Claddagh Rescue
Updated: Sep 11
Sarah entrusted me with
Her Grandma's ring
A 9ct Yellow Gold Claddagh
The band had buckled in places.
Which often happens if the ring is too big.
I measured Sarah and discovered it needed to go smaller.
I would need to be super gentle as the ring was already thin.
Here's how I went about the resize and repair.....
In the Workshop
Let me share with you tips on handling an aged ring.
Old silver and gold becomes hard, therefore brittle
You run a high risk of breaking it if you hammer it round before heating it.
Careful heating realigns the metal particles and it becomes malleable again.
Do not direct heat onto the thinnest parts, especially when items are irreplaceable.
Things can get a bit melty. Gently does it.
I then softly tapped the ring round and measured it.
I was suprised that it was a full 2 1/2 sizes too big for Sarah, going from a P 1/2 to an N.
Sawing was tricky. The metal was soft and wiggly.
I went super slow with it.
I removed a small section and soldered the join, went like a dream.
To finish I lightly polished the ring, preserving details.
Equally the band had the minimum amount of polishing to retain metal.
The Result
Sarah was super happy
She now has a ring that will not warp as she wears it. She also is less likely to lose it.
I hope it lasts another generation in her family :)
Thank You Sarah!
Check out the video below for the process in motion
Thank you for looking
Elfin
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