How to Repair a Jewelry Pin

A brooch like this one is affixed to clothing with a bar pin.

A jewelry pin, sometimes referred to as a brooch, is an elegant and versatile piece of jewelry. Rather than being worn against the skin, a pin is affixed to clothing, often in the area between the shoulder and the breast. Jewelry pins are fun adornments---they can be chosen specifically to coordinate with an outfit, and they typically are comfortable to wear. After a significant amount of wear, a jewelry pin can break, most commonly when the bar pin on the back detaches from the embellished front portion of the brooch. Repairing such a piece is simple with jewelry adhesive, while soldering is an option for pieces made of precious metals.

Things You'll Need

• Replacement bar pin
• Coarse sandpaper
• Heavy-duty jewelry adhesive
• Clothespin or other clamping device
• Solder
• Butane torch
• Flux
• Paintbrush

Instructions

Repair with Adhesive

1. Choose a new bar pin in an appropriate size to fit on the back of your brooch without being visible. Bar pins come in a variety of sizes and alloys, including sterling silver, which is ideal if your brooch is made of other fine materials such as precious gemstones.

2. Rub coarse sandpaper over the smooth front surface of the new bar pin. Rough up the surface to help the heavy-duty jewelry adhesive adhere to it with greater ease.

3. Apply a thin layer of heavy-duty jewelry adhesive to the back of the brooch where you wish to reattach the bar pin.

4. Apply a thin layer of the jewelry adhesive to the front portion of the new bar pin that you have sanded.

5. Press the new bar pin onto the back of the brooch. Clamp the bar pin and the brooch tightly together using a clothespin or other clamping device. Place the brooch in a dry, cool place where it can remain undisturbed while the adhesive dries for at least 24 hours.

Repair with Solder

1. Obtain a new bar pin and solder in the same type of fine alloy as the brooch.

2. Apply flux---a substance that helps solder to flow and adhere---to the back of the brooch and the front of the new bar pin using a paintbrush.

3. Position solder where the bar pin and the brooch meet.

4. Heat the solder with a butane torch until it melts.

5. Allow the solder to cool and solidify.

Tips & Warnings

• It is not necessary to buy a new bar pin if the original one is still functional and has merely come off the jewelry pin; simply reattach it using the methods described above.

• Buy a V-shaped bar pin if your jewelry pin is small or uniquely formed; a V-shaped bar pin might fit better on such a jewelry pin than a standard long bar pin.

References

• "Practical Jewellery Repair"; James Hickling, 1998