A loose stone is a same-day job
Do not wait on this one. If you can feel a stone move under your fingernail, the prong holding it has already worn through, and the gap between a loose stone and a lost stone is usually days rather than months.
Re-tipping a prong costs a fraction of replacing a diamond, and it is quick work — most of it done at our bench inside the store while you wait. Nothing is sent away. A lot of counters take a ring with a loose stone, mail it to a central workshop and hand it back two or three weeks later, which is two or three weeks you are either not wearing it or wearing it at risk.
- Bring it in the day you notice movement. That is the cheap moment.
- Every other prong gets checked while the ring is on the bench — they wear at the same rate.
- Most re-tipping is done the same day, often inside the hour.
- Price quoted at the counter before any work starts.
Walk in during mall hours, no appointment.
How to tell before you lose it
Hold the ring next to your ear and tap it gently with a fingernail. A secure stone is silent. A loose one ticks.
The other tell is your clothing. A ring that has started catching on knitwear usually has a prong that has worn to a point or lifted. That is the last warning you get.
Re-tipping versus bending back
A worn prong has lost metal. Pressing it back over the stone looks like a fix for a few weeks, then it lifts again — there is nothing left to hold with.
Re-tipping adds new metal to the tip and reshapes it. That is a repair. If several prongs on the same head have gone, replacing the head outright is often better value than re-tipping them one at a time, and we will say so.
Replacing a stone that is already gone
Bring the piece in and we will match the stone for size, cut and colour. For a diamond in a matched set the match matters more than the certificate — it has to sit right beside the others.
If the stone was a family piece and you still have it loose in a drawer, bring that. Resetting your own stone is almost always the better answer.
Settings we work on
Prong, bezel, channel, pavé and tension. Channel and pavé work needs the neighbouring stones checked at the same time — they sit under the same pressure.
Settings we work in
- Prong — four and six prong, and re-tipping worn prongs before they let go.
- Bezel — full and partial, tightened or rebuilt.
- Channel — stones set in a track between two walls, which loosen as the walls wear.
- Pavé and micro-pavé — the small stones that go missing first.
- Halo, cluster and tension settings.
- Flush and gypsy settings, set into the metal.
Stones we set and replace
diamond and lab-grown diamond, moissanite, cubic zirconia, emerald, ruby, sapphire, opal, pearl, amethyst, aquamarine, blue and white topaz, garnet, peridot, citrine, tanzanite, morganite, turquoise, onyx and jade.
If you have lost a stone, bring the piece in — we can usually match a replacement from stock the same day for common sizes in diamond, moissanite, cubic zirconia and the coloured stones above.
Birthstones
Mother's rings, birthstone pendants and family pieces are some of the most common repairs we see, and the most common reason someone needs a specific stone matched:
- January — garnet
- February — amethyst
- March — aquamarine
- April — diamond
- May — emerald
- June — pearl or alexandrite
- July — ruby
- August — peridot
- September — sapphire
- October — opal or tourmaline
- November — topaz or citrine
- December — turquoise, zircon or tanzanite
The check that saves the stone
Run a fingernail over the prongs. If it catches, a prong is lifting and the stone is on borrowed time. Re-tipping a prong costs a fraction of replacing a diamond, and it is the single cheapest piece of maintenance in jewelry. We check the setting free while you wait.
What will it cost?
Is the stone loose, or already gone? Are the prongs worn thin, or just bent out of place? Is it a diamond, or a softer stone that will not take heat? Prong, bezel, channel or pavé? Does the head want re-tipping, or replacing altogether? Those are the questions we would be asking with it in our hands. Swing by Julio’s Jewelry at Orland Square Mall and let us have a proper look at it together.
Straight to your question
- I lost a stone out of my ring
- My stone rattles when I shake it
- One of my prongs broke off
- My prongs keep catching on my sweater
- My stone is chipped
- Diamond jewelry repair
Questions we get asked
How quickly can you re-tip a prong?
Usually the same day, often inside the hour. If you can feel the stone moving, come in as soon as you can rather than waiting for a convenient day.
How do I know a prong is worn?
Run a fingernail over the top of the setting. A worn prong catches, feels sharp, or looks flattened compared with the others. If the stone shifts at all under light pressure, it needs doing now.
How do I know if a stone is loose?
Tap the piece gently by your ear. A ticking sound means movement, and movement means it is working its way out.
Can you replace a diamond I lost?
Yes. We match size, cut and colour to the stones around it so the piece looks right rather than merely full.
How often should prongs be checked?
Once a year for a ring worn daily, and any time it starts catching on fabric. Bring it by — checking costs nothing.
Is it worth fixing an inexpensive ring?
Sometimes not, and we will tell you when. If the repair costs more than the piece is worth to anyone but you, that is your call to make with the number in front of you.
Bring it in — or ask first
Walk in during mall hours and we will price it at the counter, in writing, before anything is touched. If you would rather ask first, send a couple of details and we will call you back.
Bring it in today, 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 many while you wait. Or send a few details and we will call you back with a price.
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 see loose-stone work from right across the area — Oak Lawn, Palos Hills, Chicago Ridge, Crestwood and Evergreen Park in particular.