The karat changes how a piece behaves
- 10k is the hardest and the most brittle. It holds a shape well and it can crack rather than bend.
- 14k is the everyday one in the States and the one we see most. Strong, workable, forgiving.
- 18k is softer and richer in colour. It bends and marks more easily, and it solders at a different temperature.
- 22k and 24k turn up on pieces brought from overseas. Very soft, and they want a careful hand.
- Yellow, white and rose are the same gold with different alloys mixed in, and each finishes differently.
We match the solder to the piece
Gold is not one material. A 14k chain and an 18k ring want different solder at different temperatures, and matching the colour matters as much as matching the karat. That is the part you notice afterwards, because a mismatched repair shows as a line.
What comes in most
- Broken chains — at a link, at the clasp, or at the jump ring by a pendant.
- Ring sizing up or down, and bands worn thin underneath.
- Clasps replaced or repaired.
- Earring posts and backs.
- Prongs and loose stones.
- Polishing that takes years of scratches back off.
Not sure what karat yours is?
Most pieces are stamped somewhere — inside a ring, on a chain tag, on a clasp. If yours is not, or the stamp has worn away, we will test it at the counter and tell you what it is.
Bring it in and we will look at it
Every piece is different and gold especially so. Put it on the counter, tell us what has happened, and we will tell you what we see and what we would do about it. You decide from there, before anything is agreed.
Questions we get asked
Do you work on 10k as well as 14k and 18k?
All of them, and 22k too. Each one behaves differently on the bench and we work it accordingly.
Will the repair show?
Not if the solder is matched properly to the karat and the colour. That is the whole point of doing it on a bench.
How do I know what karat my piece is?
Most are stamped. If yours is not, we will test it at the counter and tell you.
Can you repair a hollow gold chain?
Bring it in. Hollow is a different job to solid and we will tell you what we see.
Will you tell me what you find before doing any work?
Always. We look at it with you at the counter, tell you what we see, and you decide.
Not sure we can fix it?
Send a couple of details and we will call you back. Or just walk in — it is quicker, and we can actually look at the piece.
Drop it off, shop the mall, wear it tonight
We are inside Orland Square Mall in Orland Park. Walk in during mall hours, no appointment. Most repairs are finished the same day and a good number while you wait.
Where we are
Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm. We are also at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL 60546.