Help! I broke my ring.

BWeaves

BWeaves

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May 13, 2015
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This afternoon I got into the car after doing grocery shopping and my Kamoka ring was missing the pearl. Luckily I found the pearl one second later in the door handle of the car. Whew!

Help! I broke my ring


Is this something I can fix myself? If so, what sort of glue do you recommend, and how best to apply it?

I have some Aron Alpha High Strength Rapid Bonding Adhesive, Alpha Cyanoacrylate. I think Hisano Shepherd had recommended it to me to fix something else I broke, but I don't know if it's appropriate to fix this pearl back on the post of the ring.

I wrote to Kamoka, and Tevai (Celeste's son) recommended this:

Vigor Jeweler's Epoxy 2 Step 12.0451 - Fast Setup Clear and Colorless - Resin and Hardener​

I just ordered some.

But any recommendations on type of glue, and especially how to apply it so I don't make a mess, would be greatly appreciated. I've never set a pearl before.
 
I am so glad you found the pearl, BWeaves, as that is such a beautiful ring!!! I glue all of my rings, earrings and pendant settings with Vigor! And the great news is that if you don't like how the pearl sits if the glue dries too quickly (or if you ever want to switch the pearl), soaking a Vigor-glued setting in acetone makes the pearl pop off without damage (assuming no gold plating and no precious gem stones other than diamond are in the setting, so as not to harm them with acetone). A thin layer goes a long way - a blob of glue usually doesn't bond as tightly. Also, I would be sure to remove the residual glue from the setting before you start, as otherwise it won't bond tightly and the pearl may fall off (and I learned that the hard way). You want the metal to be free from moisture and residual glue. I usually apply to the tip of the peg and allow it to ooze down a little into the cup area, then quickly stick on the pearl and hold pressure for 45-60 sec. Some of the Vigors bond faster; the packaging should list the time required.
 
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Oh no! I'm so glad you found the pearl.
 
The epoxy you ordered will work well! Just remember, a little bit goes a very long way. You don't want to slather it all over the place. When I mix epoxy, I typically use a tooth pick and a 3x5 index card. Draw to circles side by side (you can use a nickel to trace) and fill each side with one of the two parts. That way you can get two even doses of the parts. Take your toothpick and mix the two blobs together per the instructions. Once mixed thoroughly, you can use the toothpick to apply the epoxy to the prong. You want a nice little bulbous mound (I think @jshepherd some pics posted of the perfect drop a while back) You want to keep the ring vertical so that the pearl is sitting on the prong while the epoxy is curing. It will take 24hours to cure completely, so don't fool with it while it is setting/drying/curing.
 
JerseyPearl said:
The epoxy you ordered will work well! Just remember, a little bit goes a very long way. You don't want to slather it all over the place. When I mix epoxy, I typically use a tooth pick and a 3x5 index card. Draw to circles side by side (you can use a nickel to trace) and fill each side with one of the two parts. That way you can get two even doses of the parts. Take your toothpick and mix the two blobs together per the instructions. Once mixed thoroughly, you can use the toothpick to apply the epoxy to the prong. You want a nice little bulbous mound (I think @jshepherd some pics posted of the perfect drop a while back) You want to keep the ring vertical so that the pearl is sitting on the prong while the epoxy is curing. It will take 24hours to cure completely, so don't fool with it while it is setting/drying/curing.
Click to expand...

I couldn't find a post with photos, but I did find this one:

Gluing and Fittings

There are a few threads on the merits of different glues, epoxy - super glue etc. I thought I would throw into the mix the importance of the fitting used. The fitting plays a big part, if the post is too short this will shorten the life span of the piece of jewellery. 1) The Post should be at...
www.pearl-guide.com
 
Well that was extremely lucky to have found the pearl !! I use the AronAlpha . As noted but sure to clean the peg really well and then wash it well to remove the solvent. I take a file and just rough it up a bit as well . I also take a drill bit ( or a needle) and just scratch the inside of the drill hole and try to get rid of the glue. just don't enlarge the hole..
If the pearl is not snug on the post or if it's too short , You might want to consider having a slightly thicker and longer post attached if that's possible.. it's hard to tell the post length from the photo.
 
The Vigor hasn't arrived yet.

But I did soak the ring in acetone and very easily pried off the previous epoxy with a pin. The pearl hole appears to be very clean.

The post is a decent length, although I think the drill hole is longer.

The post does have some twists, and is rough, so things should hold, in theory, when I re-glue it.
 
BWeaves said:
The Vigor hasn't arrived yet.

But I did soak the ring in acetone and very easily pried off the previous epoxy with a pin. The pearl hole appears to be very clean.

The post is a decent length, although I think the drill hole is longer.

The post does have some twists, and is rough, so things should hold, in theory, when I re-glue it.
Click to expand...
Having cemented thousands of crowns on teeth, my only recommendation is to try the pearl on the post before gluing to make sure it goes on smoothly and seats all the way, to make sure nothing obstructs it for when you actually place your glue.
 
2thdktr said:
Having cemented thousands of crowns on teeth, my only recommendation is to try the pearl on the post before gluing to make sure it goes on smoothly and seats all the way, to make sure nothing obstructs it for when you actually place your glue.
Click to expand...
This is a great recommendation (y)
 
Completely agree. Doesn't apply so much here as the pearl came off the post, but over the years of making up earrings, especially studs, I've found a rogue slightly larger post in a batch of earring findings more often than I care to think about. There's fraction of a mm between nice and snug and too big
 
The epoxy arrived yesterday. I'm going to try to fix the ring today. I'll keep you "posted" if you'll pardon the pun.

And UPDATE:

I put on an apron. I put aluminum foil on my table and topped it with 2 large white pieces of card. One card to mix the epoxy on, and one card to set the finished ring on. I also had a paper towel and 2 toothpicks. I used my 8X magnifying glasses. I clamped the ring in a binder clip (ironically from Fire Mountain Gems) that would not squish the ring too tightly, but also stand the ring upright. This gave me something to hold the ring securely so I didn't fumble it, and make it easy to set the ring down when done.

I mixed the 2 part epoxy on one card with a tooth pick. I held the post pointed down and put a small glop (technical term) of the epoxy on the post. I probably didn't put enough, but I didn't want it squishing out all over. I can always redo it if it doesn't hold. Using my magnifying glasses I was able to get the post in the hole first time. I gently pressed the pearl to the ring. Then let the ring sit upright on the clean card. I'll check it tomorrow at noon and let you know if it was a success. It looks good. No glop squishing out from under the pearl.
IMG_1410.jpeg
 
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It looks GREAT! Beautiful pearl and nice setting!
And your description on how you did it can be helpful to many others too!

Cheers!
 
Yay, I'm so glad you found it and could fix it. It's such a beautiful ring!
 
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