A necklace that comes apart in your hand looks like one problem. It is usually one of five, and they are not the same job. The useful question is not “is it broken?” but where it gave way — because a single snapped link, a worn clasp and a chain that is thinning along its whole length are three different conversations, and only one of them is about replacing anything.
The short version: most single breaks in a solid gold, silver or platinum chain are ordinary bench work. The link is soldered, matched to the chain, and the metal re-finished so the join disappears. What makes the harder cases harder is almost never the break itself — it is what the chain is made of, and whether the rest of it is as tired as the part that let go.
First: where did it actually break?
Lay the necklace out straight on a light surface and find the failure point. Five of the six lines below are the ones we see most often, and each one points at a different piece of work.
| What you see | What actually failed | What that normally means |
|---|---|---|
| One open or snapped link, mid-chain | A single link, usually the one that took a snag or a pull | Soldered and matched to the chain so the join is invisible — the most common chain job there is |
| The chain is fine, the clasp will not hold | The clasp, not the chain: a tired spring or a worn lobster claw | Worn or broken clasps are replaced, matched to the metal and style, with a safety clasp added on request |
| The pendant is gone, the chain is intact | Almost always the clasp — pendants are usually lost at the clasp, not at the bail | A stronger lobster claw or safety catch is quick bench work, and it is cheaper than the pendant was |
| The pendant hangs crooked or slides off | The bail or the jump ring holding it | Bails and pendants are re-attached and secured so they sit and hang correctly |
| It keeps catching, or it sits at the wrong length | Fit rather than failure | Chains are shortened to the right drop, or lengthened with matching links or an extender |
| Kinked, flattened or knotted along the weave | The weave itself, not one link — typical of very fine and hollow chains | These carry more risk than solid chains. The piece is assessed and you are told honestly what is possible before anything starts |
Chain and clasp work is quoted as one group, so the first four lines usually land in the same price band. What separates them is how much of the chain has to be touched.
Three questions that decide solder or replace
1. Is the chain solid or hollow?
This is the single biggest fork in the road, and it has nothing to do with how the chain looks. Hollow rope and very fine link work are lighter to wear and lighter on the wallet when new, but there is less metal at the join to work with. We repair gold, silver and platinum chains across styles like rope, box, curb, figaro and herringbone — but some very fine or hollow chains are delicate, and we tell you what is possible before we start, rather than after. That sentence is the whole policy: the risk is named up front, not discovered halfway through.
2. Did it break in one place, or is it thin everywhere?
One clean break in a chain that is otherwise sound is a repair. A chain that has already been soldered in three places, or that is visibly worn thin along a stretch of its length, is telling you something else: the metal has done its time. The same logic we use on rings applies here — when a piece is worn through in several places at once, more of it has to be rebuilt, and that is the point where replacement starts to compete on price. A jeweler will say so; the quote is free either way.
3. Where is the value — in the chain, or on it?
Plenty of chains are carriers. The thing you would be upset to lose is the pendant, the locket, the medal — and the chain is simply what holds it. If that is your situation, the decision gets much easier: secure what matters. A bail can be re-attached, a clasp can be upgraded, and if the carrier itself is finished, nothing about that changes the pendant. If the chain is the piece — a signed, antique or heavy solid one — it is worth repairing on the merits, and worth running the repair-or-replace numbers before you decide.
What the number actually is. Necklaces & chains start at $79 — that group covers soldering broken links, clasp replacement, extender addition, pendant bail repair and pearl restringing. It is the lowest starting point for the group, not the final price: every piece is inspected and quoted individually, you get one firm number, and nothing is worked on until you approve it. What that one number covers, line by line.
Four things not to do to a broken chain
Do not pull a knot apart with pins or force. That is what stretches links and pulls a clasp out of shape, and it usually turns a small solder job into a longer one. Do not glue anything. Glue contaminates the joint and has to be burned off before a jeweler can solder, which makes the repair bigger than it needed to be. Do not have it tacked together at a counter to “hold it for now” — a badly placed solder seam has to be cut out later, and you pay for the cutting as well as the fixing. Do not throw the broken bits away. Original metal can often be reused, and the fallen stone at the bottom of your jewelry box is worth more than one we would have to source and match.
How to send it in so it can be quoted properly
A chain is one of the easiest things to quote from a photograph — if the photograph shows the right thing.
- Photograph the break, not the necklaceA chain coiled on a table tells a jeweler nothing. Lay it out straight, take one close, in-focus frame of the broken point, and a second of the clasp end. Two photos and a line about what happened are usually enough for a written quote within one business day.
- Keep every piece and send them allFallen links, the pendant, the broken clasp, the jump ring that came off with it. Put the small parts in a bag or a folded envelope so they arrive with the chain rather than in the corner of the box.
- Say what it is, if you knowGold, silver or platinum; solid or hollow; whatever is stamped on the clasp tag. It changes the work, and it is often the difference between a firm number and a range.
- Ask the clasp question in the same messageIf the clasp is tired, upgrading it while the piece is already on the bench costs one shipment instead of two. It goes into the same written quote as its own line, and you say yes or no to that line on its own. Nothing is ever added on our own initiative.
- Send it exactly as it isUnfixed, unglued, un-tacked, unpolished. Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing is included free with every repair, so there is nothing to gain by cleaning it first — and quite a lot to lose if the cleaner is the wrong one.
Where chain work sits against the rest of the price list
These are the starting prices published on our repair pricing table. Every piece is inspected and quoted individually.
| If the problem is | The group it falls into | Starting at |
|---|---|---|
| A snapped link, a broken clasp, a bail or a length change | Necklaces & Chains | $79 |
| A strand of pearls or beads that needs restringing | Necklaces & Chains | $79 |
| A stone in the pendant that rattles or has fallen out | Stone Setting | $79 |
| A sound chain that has simply gone dull or yellow | Polish & Cleaning | $99 |
These are the lowest starting points, not the final price — you get one firm number after inspection, and nothing is worked on until you approve it. Note the last line carefully: if the chain is coming in for a repair anyway, the cleaning and polishing is already included free and is never sold as an extra. That row is for pieces sent in purely for finishing.
What you get back
The chain is worked by a master jeweler who matches the links, controls the solder and re-finishes the metal, with trained gemologists (HRD Antwerp and ERIJ) on hand for anything with stones or a pendant. It is inspected by a gemmologist before it ships, cleaned and polished as part of the job, and returned fully insured in a keepsake box. Every repair carries a 12-month workmanship warranty — if you are not completely satisfied, we make it right free of charge.
Not sure which of the five yours is? You do not have to work it out. Send one clear photo of the break and a line about what happened. A trained jeweler replies within one business day with a firm price, the shipping kit and the insurance both ways are free, and you pay nothing until you approve the number. If a chain is genuinely not worth repairing, we will tell you that too.
Frequently asked questions
Can a broken gold chain be soldered?
Most of them can. We work on gold, silver and platinum chains across styles like rope, box, curb, figaro and herringbone. A snapped link is soldered and matched to the chain so the join is invisible. Some very fine or hollow chains are delicate, and we tell you honestly what is possible before we start.
Will a chain repair show?
Done properly, no. A bad chain repair is obvious: a bulky link, a mismatched clasp, a solder blob that catches the light. The links are matched, the solder is controlled and the metal is re-finished so the join disappears and the chain is as strong as before.
My clasp broke. Do I need a new clasp or a new chain?
Usually just the clasp. Worn or broken clasps are replaced and matched to your chain’s metal and style, and a safety clasp can be added on request. It is worth knowing that pendants are usually lost at the clasp rather than at the bail — so a tired clasp on an otherwise sound chain is worth dealing with before it opens on its own.
Is a very thin or hollow chain worth repairing?
Often yes, but very fine and hollow chains carry more risk than solid ones. We assess the piece and advise you before proceeding, and you see a firm quote before anything is touched. If a piece is genuinely not worth repairing, we tell you.
How much does it cost to fix a broken necklace?
Necklaces and chains start at $79. That group covers soldering broken links, clasp replacement, extender addition, pendant bail repair and pearl restringing. The final number depends on the metal, the type of break and the length, and you get one firm price after the chain has been inspected. Nothing is worked on until you approve it.
What happens if I decide not to repair it?
Nothing is worked on until you approve the quote, so you can stop at any point before that. If you pass after we have seen the piece, it ships back to you free and fully insured, tracked and signed for. The quote itself is free either way.