Fixing A Chipped Gemstone: Methods and Pricing Guide

If you have a piece of jewelry that has a chipped gemstone, try not to worry!

There is a way to fix it. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss the different ways that can be used to repair your gemstone.

We will also talk about the pricing, methods, and pros and cons of each method so that you can make the best decision for your needs.

Let’s get started!

Can A Chipped Gemstone Be Fixed?

Nearly all chipped gemstones can be fixed, even some cracked ones too. 

If you have noticed or felt a chip after a good bashing on your stone, you will want to take it to your jewelry store and have them take a look to determine the likely cost of fixing it. 

Most often, the jewelry store will not endeavor to do the work themselves, but will instead be looking to determine if they must first remove the stone from the mounting so that the chip can be fixed. 

If the chip in the gemstone is not located next to any prongs or close to any metal that is obstructing it in the mounting, there may be enough room for repair and it may be left in place for the work to be done.  

A jewelry store usually does not have a lapidary specialist working within it, so they will need to send the stone out for repair. 

If you ask, then you may find that there are lapidaries in your location and you may bypass the jewelry store all together, and simply take your gemstone in for repair yourself.

The Different Types of Gemstone Damage

There are many ways that gemstones of all kinds can be damaged.

Because some stones are softer than others, it is more likely those are the types that will be found damaged most often. However, the other factor for damage is how often a gem is being worn. 

Let’s look at the different kinds of damage that can happen to a gemstone.

Chips on the Edges

This is probably the most common type of damage to the vast majority of the stones because the edges of the stones are usually not protected in a mounting, unless they are set down low and/or are bezel set. Prongs do not protect the stone, they merely hold it in place.

Cracks

Anywhere. 

These can go unnoticed for a long time because sometimes they are mistaken for the natural internal inclusions typically found inside a gemstone. 

When looking at what appears to be a crack, the top surface of a stone will be the most determining factor to know for certain. 

A crack that rises to the surface or table of the stone will be easily seen and will be able to be felt also. 

Other cracks might start from under the table, on the crown or pavilion, and can go unnoticed for years unless a jeweler happens to spot it with a loupe. 

This is just one reason why a jewelry store will recommend that you have your items inspected from time to time.

Abrasions, Scratches or Scuffs

Nothing will dull the appearance of a sparkling stone faster than the normal wear and tear of daily use. 

Stones that are on the upper Mohs hardness scale, such as diamonds and sapphires, are rarely abraded or scuffed, but are more easily chipped instead.  

However, stones such as garnets, emeralds and amethyst will show their surface wear fast for the use of them.

Thermal or Heat Damages

Stones can be damaged from the application of heat. When a goldsmith uses a torch to work near a gemstone, it can be burned on the surface if it was not protected. This will entirely change the appearance and render it dull or will even change the color.

Corrosion 

Gemstones that have been repeatedly in contact with chemical agents will become corroded especially if they are softer or more porous gems. The chemicals slowly eat away at the surface of the stone and will eventually leave a dull, unattractive appearance.

This is why it’s important to take off your jewelry when cleaning with harsh chemicals.

Pitting

This is when small craters form on the surface of a gemstone. It is usually found in organic gems such as pearls, coral and amber. It can also be found on other stones that have been exposed to chemicals or pollutants in the air.

Ultrasonic Cleaning

Some gemstones, such as emerald or opals, cannot withstand the cavitation action of ultrasonic cleaning due to the natural layering of their structure. 

Additionally, there are quite a few emeralds that have been treated with dye to enhance their color, and this dye will leach out of the stone if it spends time in a cleaner of this type.

The Tectonics of Nature

When a gemstone is formed in nature, the geographical location and movement of the earth can create its own damage by the exertion of natural pressure and heat. 

For this reason, gemstones that have good color dispersion and clarity are highly valued over those that have sustained damage that affects the color dispersion or results in creating natural internal inclusions.

Methods Available For Fixing Chipped Gemstones

Since chipped gemstones are by far the most common type of true damage second only to scratching and abrasions, we will look at how those can be fixed.

Gluing

While this sounds like a jimmy rigged way of dealing with a chip in a stone, it all depends on what kind of stone you have, the size of it, and if you still have the piece of the chip that fell out. 

There is an Epoxy 330, and this is an epoxy that dries crystal clear which is often used to fix and fortify a gemstone chip depending on how the final appearance will look. 

If you ever had a piece of granite counter top that had a chip or chunk broken out of it, you won’t be able to see the repair glue that was used to fix it if the repairman did a good job, and it will be just as strong as the granite itself is.

Recutting

Some chips cannot be fixed by any other means than re-cutting the facets. This is usually because the chip is on the table of the gemstone and creates a hole that cannot be filled, especially in a hard stone such as a diamond or sapphire. 

Gluing an expensive gemstone will dramatically destroy the value of it, and while it may not be noticed with the naked eye, it will be with a loupe. 

The best way for deeper chips on a surface, or larger chips on the edges of a stone is to have it recut. You will lose a bit of the stone weight, because re-cutting will need to take into consideration blending the other surrounding facets to make the stone balanced, but you will salvage an otherwise beautiful and valuable stone.

Polishing

This is a way to restore a gemstone that has only incurred minor abrasions, scratches or tiny flea bite sized chips on the outer edges of a stone. 

Polishing is done at the lapidary because they have the proper equipment to ensure that the stone is not dulled by using the wrong grit on it. 

Polishing a stone will ensure that the cut and facets remain the same.

Polishing a stone will remove the burns that a gemstone may have had on the surface of it. It is also possible that polishing can fix the damage to an opal if it was mostly abraded on the surface.

Pros and Cons of Each Method

There are really only two “cons” to the methods used for repairing a gemstone, and that is when it is glued or recut. 

Gluing will dramatically reduce the value of the stone because the damage remains within it, whereas re-cutting will reduce the carat weight of the stone. 

If a diamond, sapphire or emerald was standing at the size of a carat, then re-cutting it will reduce it to below that weight and will affect the value by quite a bit. 

Gemstones of this nature are often priced exponentially higher if they reach a carat in weight. It has a psychological effect on sales, though not on quality.

Polishing a stone does not really have a con simply because there is only one result, which is that it makes an older worn stone or a damaged surface look brand new again. It does not reduce the weight by more than a fraction of a carat, and does not risk further damage to it.

How Much It Costs To Recut A Gemstone

You will usually be pleasantly surprised at the cost to repair your gemstone. 

The most expensive cost will be the re-cutting. 

For starters, the gem will need to be large enough to be able to have the chip or crack faceted because this will reduce the size of the stone by up to 10%.

If you have a tiny diamond, you may still want it to be recut if it has great sentimental value nevertheless. 

When you take your stone to a jewelry store or to the lapidary, the estimate for repair of this nature will run you between $150 and up to $400 depending on how many facets surrounding the chip are involved. 

When speaking about an expensive stone, this is nominal in comparison to buying a new stone.

When gluing or polishing, the price depends on whether or not the stone had to be removed from the mounting and replaced into it also. 

The jewelry store can do that part, but they will charge for it. Cost will also include postage and insurance to ship out your stone to a lapidary if none are available in your area. 

If the stone was burned, it will likely need the entire surface to be polished rather than just the surface, so expect the pricing to reflect that amount of work. 

We estimate that gluing and polishing a 1 carat gemstone of any kind will cost somewhere between $100 to $300, depending on what the jewelry store wants to charge for doing their part, and also if you live in an area where the cost of living and store overhead is higher.

Which Method Should You Choose?

You will want to get the opinion of both the bench jeweler as well as the lapidary because they could have different opinions depending on the type of damage. 

While one might simply want to glue or polish, the other one might be more concerned about retaining the retail value of the stone. 

In these cases, the choice of which method for repair is yours to make and will depend on how you feel about your gemstone.

What To Do With Broken Gemstones

Broken gemstones can be reset into a different mounting. 

They can be recut, bezel set, or can even be glued into a creative mounting with other broken gems for a unique look. 

They can be made into a pair of earrings or a freeform pendant depending on the size of them. Never throw away your broken stones because one man’s garbage is another man’s treasure.

Final Thoughts

No need to perpetually fret if you chip or break your gemstone. Fretting is more useful if you have lost it or had it stolen. 

A gemstone with problem areas is a gemstone that is destined to be recalibrated or maybe even remounted into something even more beautiful as well as more protective. 

Roll with it.