Where silver chains give
- At the clasp — the spring ring or lobster takes the most wear and it is where most breaks happen.
- At the jump ring holding a pendant, which opens under weight.
- At a single link that has worn thin where it sat against another.
- All along it, when a light chain has carried a heavy pendant for years.
Silver is soft, and that matters here
Sterling links open more easily than gold, so a silver chain that has broken once will often break again in the same area. While it is on the bench we look at the links either side and tell you what we see. Sometimes the honest answer is a heavier chain for the pendant you are hanging on it, and we will say so.
Bring the pendant too
If there is a pendant on it, bring that. It tells us how much weight the chain is actually carrying, which is usually the reason it broke, and it lets us check the bail at the same time.
Tarnish comes off while it is here
A silver chain that has gone dark cleans up properly on a bench, including inside the links where a cloth cannot get. If yours is coming in for a repair anyway, that is the moment.
Bring it in and we will look at it
Every piece is different and chain work 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
Can a broken silver chain be fixed?
Yes, and usually same day. Bring both ends and the pendant.
Will the repair show?
On a matched silver solder, no. That is the point of doing it properly.
My chain keeps breaking in the same place — why?
Usually the pendant is heavier than the chain was built for. We will tell you what we see.
Can you clean the tarnish off at the same time?
Yes, including inside the links.
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.