Unfortunately, on some occasions (most commonly with rings), the claws that hold in a stone can develop weaknesses, causing them to lift up or even completely snap off.

This doesn’t always mean you are going to lose the stone (for example, if you have a six or eight claw ring there are plenty of other claws to keep your stone safe), but it does put the stone at greater risk, and indicates there’s a chance other claws may also be weakened. A claw suddenly catching on your clothes can be a sign that one of the claws has lifted. If you notice that any claws seem damaged or out of place, bring the jewellery item in for us to check.

Here’s a tip: lift your ring close to your ear and gently tap the band with your finger, if you can hear a rattling sound, that could mean the stone is loose and needs tightening.

Often, damage can go unnoticed, and you only realise claws are broken or compromised once you have lost a stone. Though this can be upsetting, especially if it is from an engagement ring, it is not out of the question for you to find the stone so that we can reset it, and in a worst case scenario, we are able to source and replace stones. We will always secure the ring to prevent this from happening again in the future, and make sure that any stone we do supply matches the colour and quality of any other stones in the piece.

We sometimes have requests from people hoping to have old rings with missing stones repaired as surprise Christmas or birthday gifts for friends and family. Sourcing and setting stones and repairing mounts can be time consuming work. Gemstones and diamonds come in all different shapes, sizes, qualities, and colours, and finding the right match isn’t always easy. It is always best to allow us as much time as possible to get this type of repair completed.