Gemstone repair question

[Delsol]

Greetings All,

My most beloved piece, a huge tear drop labradorite pendant with deep blue hues and incredible fractals, has been cracked and chipped. It's encased in silver, really quite unique - a gift from my mother during a difficult time. The power of that stone has helped me so much this past year. I feel sick about it. It is so heavy, that on occassion when I unclasp the silver chain from my neck, it slides off quickly and lands on the tile floor. Last night, this happened again - only this time it actually cracked. Anguish! I know it will never be perfect again, but maybe it can be fixed? I searched online and read about resins and apoxies, but am hesitant to try. Does anyone have advice for such? Blessings to everyone, d.

[BellaSage]

Originally Posted by Delsol

Greetings All,

My most beloved piece, a huge tear drop labradorite pendant with deep blue hues and incredible fractals, has been cracked and chipped. It's encased in silver, really quite unique - a gift from my mother during a difficult time. The power of that stone has helped me so much this past year. I feel sick about it. It is so heavy, that on occassion when I unclasp the silver chain from my neck, it slides off quickly and lands on the tile floor. Last night, this happened again - only this time it actually cracked. Anguish! I know it will never be perfect again, but maybe it can be fixed? I searched online and read about resins and apoxies, but am hesitant to try. Does anyone have advice for such? Blessings to everyone, d.

I'm sorry to hear this Delsol! I dropped my beautiful raw piece of Larimar this morning and she split in two.

I'm really not sure if it could be fixed, maybe take it to a Jeweller and see what they say? They might be able to remove and restore then place it back?

That is my only suggestion. I really hope you find a solution.

[Delsol]

Thank you Bella. I am sorry to hear about your larimar! How awful. Maybe you can wire wrap the two pieces and use them as pendants or something. Yes I may try a jeweler. Sigh. Here is a pic of the piece I am talking about, before it was cracked. Really beautiful.

[Clover]

Hi Delsol,

Gorgeous pendant, wow. I use to work in jewelry. For the most part, we were unable to 'fix' broken gemstones/stones or cracks. Most stores sell warranties to replace the stone completely. The best a jeweler can do it polish the stone down with their polisher machine ( very robust) to smooth it out. A lot of polishing will probably make it smaller too to really smooth it out.


However, I never worked with labrodite, so maybe there is another opinion to help! Good luck!

[BellaSage]

Originally Posted by Delsol

Thank you Bella. I am sorry to hear about your larimar! How awful. Maybe you can wire wrap the two pieces and use them as pendants or something. Yes I may try a jeweler. Sigh. Here is a pic of the piece I am talking about, before it was cracked. Really beautiful.

Aww I see what you mean. Absolutely stunning! Hopefully something can be done. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you. Wishing you Luck!

[Delsol]

Thank you Clover and Bella. I don't think a jeweler could sand it down enough - it actually has a big chip in it now. So sad. I bought some Ice Resin today - it's the type of resin used to make bezel pendants. It dries hard and clear like glass. I am going to experiment with it, and if I get to feeling confident, will try to fill the cracks and the one big chip in my gemstone with it. If it works out, I will post pics - would be a useful tip for anyone else in the same boat! I also considered using a granite repair kit (the kind for countertops) but that stuff is really expensive, and one can only buy a lot at a time. I just need a smidge. Another idea that came to mind was a winshield repair kit - the kind for a car - but my stone isn't flat enough. Wish me luck!