A repair quote is one number you are asked to approve — in writing, before anything is touched. The question people ask before they send a piece anywhere is a fair one: what is actually inside that number, and what will appear next to it later? This page answers both, using the same figures published on the rest of this site.
Finding out costs you nothing
Before the number exists, you have spent nothing and shipped nothing. You send one clear photo and a line about what is wrong; a trained jeweler replies within one business day — a real quote, not an autoresponder. If you say yes, we email a prepaid, fully insured kit: a crush-resistant box, a security bag and simple packing instructions. If you pass at that point, you have shipped nothing and you owe nothing.
Once your piece is on our Miami bench, the written photo quote follows within one business day of its arrival, and nothing is worked on until you approve it. Change your mind after we have seen it in person? Decline, and your piece ships back free and fully insured — we cover the return.
What is always inside the number
These six are included at no extra charge on every repair, and none of them ever appears as a separate line.
Always included, free
- Inspection and diagnosis by a trained gemmologist
- A written photo quote before any work starts
- Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing with every repair
- Insured, tracked return in a keepsake box
- 12-month workmanship warranty on the repair
- Free insured return if you decline the quote
Only if it applies — always quoted first
- The repair itself, priced up front and never started without your yes
- Replacement stones or materials, charged at cost
- Rush service, if you ask for a faster turnaround
- Extra pieces you add after the first quote
The same two lists live on the home page under what your quote includes. Insurance is not on either list because it is not a charge: the shipping label we send is insured door to door in both directions at no cost to you, and pieces above standard coverage limits travel by a specialized secured courier with enhanced insurance — at no surprise cost, provided you tell us the value when you request the kit.
Where the number starts
Every repair is priced individually, but each group has a floor. These are the same starting prices published on the home page and on each service page.
| Repair group | Common repairs in this group | Starting at |
|---|---|---|
| Rings & Bands | Ring sizing, prong re-tipping, shank replacement, crack repair, rhodium plating for white gold, full polishing | $49 |
| Necklaces & Chains | Soldering broken links, clasp replacement, extender addition, pendant bail repair, pearl restringing | $39 |
| Stone Setting | Re-setting loose or fallen stones, prong rebuilding, bezel repair, pavé and channel stone replacement | $79 |
| Bracelets & Bangles | Link replacement, clasp repair, lobster claw replacement, resizing, polishing and refinishing | $45 |
| Earrings | Post replacement, friction back repair, leverback and huggie hinge repair, drop attachment soldering | $29 |
| Polish & Cleaning | Ultrasonic cleaning, hand polishing, rhodium re-plating, deep steam cleaning for all metals | $35 |
These are the lowest starting points for each 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.
The two moments a number can move
A quote is not a guess that drifts. There are exactly two points where the figure in front of you can change, and you control both of them.
1. When a photograph becomes a piece on the bench
A photo shows the damage you can see. The written quote is issued once the piece is in front of a trained gemmologist in Miami — that is why it arrives within one business day of the piece reaching the bench, not one business day after you send the picture. If what the bench finds changes the number, you see the new number before anyone touches anything, and declining at that stage costs you nothing: the piece ships home free and fully insured, and we cover the return.
2. When you add something yourself
Shipping a piece twice costs you time, not us, so customers often add a job while a piece is already in Miami. Anything added goes into the same written quote as its own line with its own number, and you say yes or no to each line. Nothing is ever added on our own initiative. The four most common:
- Rhodium re-plating for white gold that has gone warm — Polish & Cleaning, from $35.
- A prong check on the other stones — if one prong wore through, the rest are the same age. Rings & Bands, from $49.
- A stronger clasp — pendants are usually lost at the clasp, not the bail. Necklaces & Chains, from $39.
- Restringing a pearl strand while it is already here — from $39.
One thing that is never an add-on: ultrasonic cleaning and polishing is already included free with every repair. If anyone quotes it to you as an extra line on top of a repair, that is a different shop, not a different price.
Packages are priced differently — the repair is still quoted separately
If you send several pieces in one kit, the package price and the repair price are two different things, and it is worth reading them that way. Every package works the same way: the package price covers evaluation, insured shipping and polishing — the repair itself is quoted separately after inspection, and nothing is done until you approve that one number. Packages start from $69 for one piece, $179 for up to three and $500 for up to six, and all three carry the same 12-month workmanship warranty.
What the number still covers after the work is done
The price you approve does not stop at the bench. Every repair is inspected by a trained gemmologist before it ships home, returns insured and tracked in a keepsake box with an adult signature required on delivery — it is never left on a doorstep — and carries a 12-month workmanship warranty. If you are not completely satisfied with the repair, we make it right free of charge.
How to get an exact number instead of a range
Almost every vague quote in this trade is a vague question. Five things make the difference:
- Photograph the whole piece, then the damageOne clear shot of the whole item and a close-up of what is wrong. That is the entire first step — there is nothing to ship yet.
- Say what is wrong in plain words“Clasp broken,” “stone loose,” “needs sizing to 6.5.” You do not need the name of the repair, and you do not need the original box, receipt or certificate.
- Send only what needs workLeave the matching chain or the second earring at home unless both need repair. Less to ship, less to return, and a number that covers only what you actually want done.
- Have a rough value in mindIt is what lets us confirm the right insurance for the trip — and it is how a high-value piece gets the secured courier without a surprise line on the bill.
- List every piece in the formOne kit can hold several pieces. Listing each one up front means one quote with one line per piece, instead of a second conversation after your piece is already in Miami.
Four things that make a quote worse before it is written. Do not glue anything — glue contaminates the joint and has to be burned off before a jeweler can solder, which turns a small job into a bigger one. Do not have a piece soldered at a mall counter to hold it for now; a badly placed seam has to be cut out later. Do not polish an antique — patina, hallmarks and hand-engraving are part of the value and they do not come back. And do not throw away the broken bits: the fallen stone at the bottom of your jewelry box is worth more than the one we would otherwise have to source.
Not sure what your piece needs, or what it should cost? Send one clear photo and a line about the damage. A trained jeweler replies within one business day with a firm number and an honest answer — including telling you if a piece is not worth repairing. The kit and the insurance are free both ways, and you pay nothing until you approve the quote.
Frequently asked questions
Does it cost anything to get a jewelry repair quote?
No. The photo quote is free, the prepaid insured shipping kit is free, and a trained jeweler replies within one business day. If you decline the quote, your piece ships back to you free and fully insured — we cover the return. You pay nothing until you approve one firm number.
What is included in a repair price besides the repair itself?
Six things are always included at no extra charge: inspection and diagnosis by a trained gemmologist, a written photo quote before any work starts, ultrasonic cleaning and polishing with every repair, an insured tracked return in a keepsake box, a 12-month workmanship warranty on the repair, and a free insured return if you decline the quote.
Can the price change once you have seen my piece in person?
The written photo quote is sent within one business day of your piece reaching our Miami bench, so the number you approve is made with the piece in front of a trained gemmologist rather than from a photograph alone. Nothing is worked on until you approve it, and if you change your mind after we have seen it in person, you decline and the piece ships back free and fully insured — we cover the return.
Do I pay extra for cleaning and polishing?
No. Ultrasonic cleaning and polishing is included free with every repair and is never sold as an add-on. Polishing and cleaning as a job on its own — ultrasonic, hand polishing, rhodium re-plating, deep steam cleaning — starts at $35.
What if I want extra work done while the piece is on the bench?
Anything extra goes into the same written quote as its own line with its own number, and you say yes or no to each line. Nothing is ever added on our own initiative. The jobs customers most often add are rhodium re-plating from $35, a prong check on the other stones from $49, a stronger clasp from $39 and pearl restringing from $39.
When do I actually pay for a jewelry repair?
After you approve the quote, never before. The kit, the shipping, the inspection and the quote are free, and nothing is worked on until you say yes to one firm number. If you pass at that point you have shipped nothing and you owe nothing, and if you decline after we have inspected the piece, it comes back to you free and fully insured.