Rhinestone Repairs - Tips & Tricks

Tips

Rhinestones (working with)
I work on a piece of foam, or you can use felt as well, this helps to keep the little rhinestone stinkers from bouncing and getting away from you. Taunya Armstrong

Another little trick which I use only when dealing with the super tiny stones is tape. I place a piece of Scotch tape with the sticky side up and place the table side of the stone on the tape so that the point is sticking up and then pick the tape up and just set the stone right down in the setting with the glue waiting for it. Taunya Armstrong

Cleaning Rhinestones

Acetone used on a q-tip and very carefully run across the stones is good for yellowing because that is usually dried glued. Dark or grey is when the foil is damaged. Robin Deutsch

Question

Rhinestone Replacements (lifting prongs)

Do they make a tool to pull the prongs on a rhinestone to repair rhinestones. I have tried pulling the prongs up with tools that I have but always mess them up and then the piece is ruined. Any help would be appreciated. Audi G.

Suggestions

There is a prong lifter and a member here sells them, but at the moment I can't remember which. I do know that their store is linked on the blog under Jewelry Supplies. I think it may be B'Sues. Lilly Vittetow (Lilly's Vintage Jewelry)

Another way that I have good results with lifting prongs is using the edge of a paring knife. With your thumb place the knife edge just under the prong so you can lift it up - gently and slowly. Lift all 4 prongs. I then place a tiny amount of glue in and gently close down all the prongs with the knife edge. I found that this method makes for a nice tight fit. Jan Gaughan (Eclectic vintage)

One thing I cannot be with out are Popsicle sticks, I use the edges of them to close old tender prongs and they work great!!! Taunya Armstrong

I was also taught to use the back of a spoon when 'folding over' prongs, and folding over the first one, and then the opposite one, and then the next one and the opposite one. In other words, fold over opposite sides, so that you are not going 'around' the stone, but from one side to the opposite other side, to keep the stone centered, instead of off kilter by going one right after the other all the way around. Think of it as an 'X' top left, bottom right, top right, bottom left. Does that make sense? Hope I'm explaining it so that you can see it. (When setting stones in bezels, it's a bit different, but the tool we use is a burnishing tool, which has the same rounded back as a spoon that can 'close over the stone). Very little pressure from the back of the spoon is needed to 'fold over' the prong, especially if it is Sterling, Fine Silver or Gold. If it's lower karat gold, sometimes it's a bit softer, and could break easily. Gently was the word our Professor used. Hope this helps. Dinah Taylor (Capricious Crowns)

Remember to wear eye protection of some kind anytime you are trying to remove rhinestones, whether they are glued in or have prongs. When I first began to repair jewelry many years ago, a stone I was removing shattered and a tiny piece hit me in the eye. I had to see an ophthalmologist who found I had a bad scratch on my eye. Dotty Stringfield (Illusion Jewels)

Question

De-Foiling Rhinestones

I am trying to de-foil some rhinestones. In the past I just soaked them in acetone (nail polish remover). I've been soaking these stones for almost 24 hours.. There are two layers of coating on the back, a thin gold layer, (which I was able to scratch off with my fingernail after the soaking) and the thicker silver layer, which is a bit more stubborn. Anyone have any tips or tricks? Julie Levine

Suggestions

Acetone won't work, Julie. Simply heat up a 1/2 cup of vinegar with a generous portion of salt mixed in -- this will remove the foil quickly and safely. Anne the beady eye

Many times I throw handfuls of stones that I've harvested from broken jewelry with damaged foil into a bath of salt and vinegar to remove the foil and have beautiful colored glass (or clear) stones that I can use for replacements if necessary.

To remove the foil, mix a tablespoon of salt with a half cup of white vinegar. You can microwave the bowl to make it work faster.Soak the stones in this mixture overnight. The foil should rinse off easily under running water. If not, soak them a few hours longer. Robin Deutsch

For sterling silver jewelry that has stones in open back settings, you can just throw the jewelry in the bath and it won't do damage to the metal. Robin Deutsch

Rhinestone Repairs (removing rhinestones, gluing rhinestones, lifting prongs, de-foiling, etc)

Rhinestone Repairs
(removing rhinestones, gluing rhinestones, lifting prongs, de-foiling, etc)