At The Goldmarket, we are delighted to be able to offer an extensive jewellery repairs and resizing service to a wide selection of jewellery. From resizing an engagement ring, to carrying out repairs on delicate, antique pieces, we pride ourselves on the quality of our craftmanship. As well as having highly skilled technicians and craftsmen, we are also in possession of the finest technology. This includes an in house laser welding machine which allows us to be able to offer a far more superior and skilled service than many others. 

Previous to our acquisition of this particular piece of technology, anything too fine or intricate would have had to be sent away for external repairs which would involve a delay and incur additional costs. By investing in this technology we can provide a much quicker turnaround and a much more detailed range of repair services, while saving our customers money. 

What is a laser welding machine? 

A laser welding machine emits a fine laser beam directly to the area that requires work.

For clarity, here is the tech part…

‘Laser welding reconfigures the molecular structure of similar or dissimilar metals at the point of welding. This allows the the two common alloys to become one.’

We also use fine solder wire in our repairs. The carat of the solder that we use depends on the piece that we are working on – 9ct yellow gold solder wire for a 9ct yellow piece, 18ct white gold wire for white gold and so on. We can also carry out platinum and stainless steel repairs too. Another fact – we use recycled gold wire so that our jewellery repairs are more sustainable therefore enabling us to reduce our carbon footprint as a business.

Why use a laser welding machine? 

The primary reason for using a laser welder in jewellery repairs and resizing, is precision. The laser beam that is emitted from the machine we use here at The Goldmarket is 0.2mm. This means we can now take on fine or delicate work that would normally  be difficult to complete with the standard solder machines that are widely used in the industry. 

There is also much less heat transference. This is especially beneficial with porous or delicate stones like opals, pearls and emeralds which would normally have to be ‘unset” or packed with heat resistant gels to be able to work anywhere near them.

Using a laser welder, we can now complete claw work, repairs or sizing jobs without the need to unset or disturb the stones. This is also a benefit when working with hollow metals as the heat transference is less meaning we are far less likely to melt the metal. A laser welding machine is great for the following:

• Fill porosity
• Re-tip platinum or gold prong settings
• Repair bezel settings
• Resize or repair rings without removing the stones

Calibre watches

In addition to jewellery repairs, we are able to use the laser welder to carry out work on calibre watches. We can repair deeps scratches and gouges with precision and restore the piece to its former glory.

Some examples of our work 

Here are just some examples of the work that we have carried out that, without the laser welding machine, we would not be able to complete here, at our workbench in Weston super Mare. The first is a 9ct yellow gold curb bracelet with a broken link. The reason that the laser welder was required in this instance is that hollow gold is much more vulnerable when soldering. The heat transference can be such that the gold melts. With the laser welder, the heat transference is minimal therefore there is no risk of causing further damage.

We also mentioned stones and how we can work on items with less heat transference. When it came to the below sapphire and diamond cluster, we were able to repair a claw and reset the lost stone without causing damage to the stones either side.

We have so many examples of excellent work that we have carried out using this laser welding technology and are happy to discuss your requirements with you before committing to any repairs. In the first instance, we recommend that you bring the item to us so that we can carry out a thorough inspection of the work required and advise of a cost and timeframe. We can then arrange to book the item in for repair and have it looking as good as new again.

Simply pop in and see us at 23 High Street, Weston super Mare and our team will be happy to help.