Stones and rhinestones in vintage jewelry that are glued, will occasionally come loose. That is because the glue that holds the stone in place has become old and is brittle and not enough glue was originally placed in the setting, or the stone was not seated well and snagged on something. Sometimes just jarring them will break stones loose. I have had customers ask me how to re-glue stones that have fallen out, so I wrote this guide in hopes to help save some beautiful vintage jewelry. This is a simple how-to guide to re-glue the stones that have fallen out. If you find it helpful, please vote yes at the bottom of this page. Thanks!
First let me say, when you receive a piece in the mail, always open it carefully and over a white cloth in case a stone has jarred loose in shipping, which by the way happens quite often since packages really get tossed around in transit.
If you have the stone it is easy to replace.
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I use Duco cement, it is quick drying (and highly flammable so use precautions).
Do not use Super Glue, it can damage the stones.
Use glue sparingly as not to let glue seep around the edges of the stone when you push the stone back in.
You can use a toothpick to place a small amount of glue in the setting.
Remember to work fairly quickly as the glue dries fast.
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Lightly moisten the tip of your finger and grab the top of the stone and place it point down into the setting.
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You can use a clean toothpick to position the stone. Then let it dry at least 24 hours.
Another tip, if part of the foil backing is on the stone and the other part is in the setting, try to align them the same when you replace the stone, otherwise the stone can loose some luster.
Important: I am speaking from experience here, make sure that you use a cloth to cover your work area. Rhinestones are tiny and when dropped, you'd be surprised at how much they can bounce, and usually it's off the table and onto the floor! Nothing is more frustrating than having to get on your hands and knees to search for a tiny rhinestone on the floor or in the carpet. If this happens, keep in mind that they will bounce on the floor, too. I have found them a long way from my work area. If I am re-gluing a rhinestone back onto a $200.00 piece, then that rhinestone has just become a $200.00 rhinestone! So I will get on my hands and knees and look for it until I find it.
If you're like me and can't see small items very well, you can buy inexpensive generic reading glasses in a large magnification that will work well for close-up work.
I also recommend that at first you practice this on inexpensive jewelry like the one in the photo, before repairing your better pieces. That way you can experiment on the amount of glue and positioning of the stones. Once you get the hang of, it will be easy for you.
As for preventive measures, the best thing to do is check each stone under a magnifier for loose stones, if the stone has prongs have them tightened. If the stones are glued, check to see if the stones are seated well in the setting. If you don't feel comfortable repairing your jewelry and the piece is a nice collectable piece, take it to a qualified jeweler for suggestions and find one that has some experience in rhinestone costume jewelry mainly because of the glue and the foil backing.
If you have pieces that have missing stones that you can't replace, you can list them on eBay as repair pieces, and if they are collectable pieces, you will still get a good price for them as the replacement stones are hard to find.
If you like vintage costume jewelry, check out my ebay auctions. I buy a lot of vintage jewelry from estates and usually have some nice pieces on auction. The link is under my photo in the upper right hand side of this guide.
I have written other guides, please feel free to view them as well. Just click on the li
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