How to Repair Jewelry: My Ring Is Out of Round

You can repair a misshapen ring yourself.

Rings are very popular, timeless pieces of jewelry. Cultures around the world exchange rings as part of marriage ceremonies. Many folks wear wedding and other rings all the time. Well-worn rings often go out of round and can become unsightly or uncomfortable. Most rings can be restored to their original round shape.

Things You'll Need

• Ring mandrel
• Rawhide or plastic mallet

Instructions

1. Examine the ring to see how it need to be reshaped. Check to be sure the ring is only out of round and that there is no other damage that must be repaired before the shape of the ring can be restored.

2. Measure the size needed for the ring to be sure the ring is not overstretched when it is shaped. You can measure the size needed using a jewelry ring sizer or you can wrap a piece of paper around the finger and use the length of paper to size the ring.

3. Slide the out-of-round ring onto the round ring mandrel.

4. Hit the ring with the mallet to shape the ring. Check as you work to be sure you do not stretch the ring as you shape. If there are stones on the ring, do not hit the ring on the portion with the stones. Work around the stones to shape.

Tips & Warnings

• In most cases, the ring need not be annealed to be reshaped. In some circumstances, however, the ring will need to be heated with a torch until it reaches the annealing temperature in order to soften the metal enough to shape the ring. If torch heating is required, remove all stones from the ring before heating with the torch and pickle the ring after shaping but before returning the stones to the ring.

References

• "Complete Metalsmith: Professional Edition‎"; Tim McCreight; 2005
• "Metalsmithing"; Robert Ebendorf et al.; 1973
• "Form Emphasis for Metalsmiths"; Heikki Seppa et al.; 1978
• "Jewelry Concepts and Technology"; Oppi Untracht; 1982
• "The Encyclopedia of Jewelry-Making Techniques: A Comprehensive Visual Guide to Traditional and Contemporary Techniques"; Jinks McGrath; 1995

Resources

• "Chain and Bead Jewelry Creative Connections"; Scott David Plumlee; 2009
• "Wrapped in Gems"; Mai Sato-Flores and Jesse Flores; 2008
• "Bead on a Wire: Making Handcrafted Wire and Beaded Jewelry"; Sharilyn Miller; 2005