Broken Lockets - Can they be Fixed?
Categories: Jewellery 10103 Mar 2017
Did you do this when you were little? 
Place a precious little locket between your teeth and then... oops... somehow those toothy-pegs had a mind of their own and chomped! The trouble is that lockets don’t like being eaten - but biting isn't the only way to break them. Lockets have finely balanced opening and closing mechanisms and if they are opened too far, or pressed shut with too much force, the balance can be damaged. Unfortunately once the alignment is out, they are not easily fixed, but there are a couple of suggestions that might help.
- Use a little bit of bluetac to keep it closed. This will let you open and close the locket but be prepared for it to fall open occasionally, especially as the bluetac gets older.
- Glue it closed with araldite, superglue or jewellery glue. You won't be able to open the locket again but it will still be a beautiful pendant, and the memories will be kept safely inside.
Have a jeweller solder it closed. Go to a local jeweller
who actually does repairs in the shop – IE doesn’t send it away for repairs – and he or she might also be able to smooth out the teeth marks for you too! Maybe.
If the locket is beyond repair it might be time to smelt it down and create a new piece of jewellery - especially if you can retain any of the original features.
On a positive note, bitten jewellery tells its own story too, and in many, many years to come the little teeth marks
may be seen as a much-loved part of the keepsake and a lovely reminder of 'remember when'.
Heavier, custom-made or cast lockets are a lot sturdier (and harder to bite) than most ready-made lockets. Naturally they also cost more, but are worth the investment if you want a locket for this generation and the next (without cute little teeth marks). 
