Repairing a piece of jewelry need not be a daunting task.
With a little practice it can be mastered.
1. Try and build up an inventory of spare rhinestones, faux pearls, clasp,
etc. If you have a thrift store close to you buying bags of old "junk"
jewelry can be a great start.
2. To remove foiled rhinestones from broken jewelry place the piece in a small
bowl filled with acetone (nailpolish remover.) Within a couple of minutes take a
small straight pin and see if the rhinestones easily come away from the jewelry.
If not wait a few more minutes. Once the stones are loose pour the entire
thing into a knee-hi stocking. This will enable the acetone to drain away
while capturing all the rhinestones. Rinse under water for a few seconds
to remove any remaining acetone.
3. Removing faux pearls with this method is an iffy proposition.
Sometimes the acetone removes the covering, sometime not. More often than
not a faux pearl can be removed by gently prying it loose with a straight pin.
4. Use a good quality cement such as GS Hypo cement to glue in the
replacement stones and pearls. Do NOT use Super Glue - it has a tendency to eat
away at the foil and (in time) will ruin the piece.





