Repair & Restoration
Sterling Silver or Silverplate
Silver plated late 19th-Century Hunting Motif Epergne
This amazing epergne centerpiece was at least 30 inches wide and weighed 30 lbs. A hand-cut Buccellati crystal bowl (not pictured) sits in the middle. I love working on old objects like this The most difficult and time-consuming part is always studying how the piece is constructed and figuring out the most conservative way to approach the repairs. This piece required a lot of work and I easily spent 7 hours studying this magnificent and complicated silver plated epergne plus all the time spent on the actual repairs. The animals needed to be tightened and one of the deer needed to be adjusted. The arrangement of the structures is very elaborate and intertwined. In the photo below on the left, you can see the sterling silver tubing that I used on the hoof when adjusting the deer figure to make sure that the antlers were the appropriate height and didn’t hit the branches above. In the right photo below, you can see a leaf that was reattached with a rivet. Additional repairs include designing a rubber washer for the base to improve the stability of the upper armature, replacing a number of screws from poorly done previous repairs, and tapping and rethreading the screw holes. All of this had to be done carefully so as to not damage the silver plating.
Sterling silver cigarette case restoration
These sterling silver cigarette cases were restored for business cards. Dents were removed and the cases were polished lightly. One of the cigarette cases had lost the stone in the button catch. Instead of looking for a replacement stone which would be very difficult to fit properly and very expensive, I made a sterling silver button and set it in the rose gold bezel.
1902 Antique Gavel with Custom Made Tapered sterling silver tip
This antique plastic gavel arrived without the original tip in the end and the handle was cracked. I guess that when the handle of the gavel started to crack the original silver tip fell out. The goal for this gavel was to make a tapered tip to conceal the cracked end and prevent it from getting worse. I added three fine lines at the end of the sterling silver tip to match the three line detail on the handle. This restoration blends so seamlessly with the gavel you would never know it was not original to the gavel.
Custom Made sterling silver screw
Unfortunately, there are no replacement parts for sterling silver and silver plate objects. If a screw is lost it has to be custom made to match. One of these screws in the original, the other the replacement part. Can you tell the difference? For a reality check, this one screw cost almost $400 dollars. It takes hours to figure out what is missing, what size screw, thread sterling silver wire, make the faceted nut and the domed top, solder it all together and then polish.
Antique Brass sconce with gilt finish
This antique brass sconce arrived with one arm broken and missing a leaf. I created a post to hold the arm in place, then it was welded. Finally, a leaf was made from brass, and the repair was painted to match the gilt finish.
Silverplate deer antler repaired
This silverplated cast brass reindeer arrived with a broken antler. Since the reindeer was quite a large animal, a brass post was inserted into the antler and head holding the antler in the correct position while it was welded. After cleaning up the weld, the decorative marks were recreated in the repair area. There was a slightly different color at the weld area, but after polishing this is not visible except with the closest examination.
Restoration of sterling silver and glass moroccan lamp
The sterling silver pierced lantern from Morocco arrived with broken glass. Can I take apart the lantern and replace the glass? Will I be able to get it back together? That is usually the hardest task. All objects from foreign countries are very unpredictable requiring experienced guesses and risk.
Repairing an antique Arts and Crafts Lamp
This turn of the century arts and crafts lamp arrived broken at the top. Originally it was silver plate, but all the plating was worn off. It still looks absolutely fabulous with lots of character. I reinforced the top of the pentagon shape so that it was stronger than it was originally.
REPAIRING antique METAL Objects
Repairing antique metal objects is always worth a try if you are willing to invest in the repair. If it can be repaired, I can repair it. Such unusual objects are rarely replaceable. Send me a photo and I will give you a guesstimate. I can't make any promises about repairing this antique metal. One never knows what they are made out of but I am willing to give it a try. If I can't do the repair, there is no charge.
antique COin Silver Cup - Handle Removal
A previous owner had a handle soldered onto this antique coin silver cup. The solder was very messy and corroded. The current owner wanted the handle removed and the cup restored to its original condition as best as possible. Since they did not want to keep the handle I was able to cut it off. This is a better option than trying to melt the solder since it was uncertain if the solder had alloyed with the silver or if it was covering up an unknown issue. I was able to remove the handle and protect the unique texture of the cup, preserving the antique character of the surface.
Repairing silverplate
Repair of a 19th-century silver plate card holder / Card Receiver
This silver plate card holder arrived with scotch-tape holding it together (left photo) so that I would know where to solder the various parts back together. The base metal, often referred to as white metal, melts at a temperature very close to the low temperature solder. This requires great skill. My solder contains silver which provides a good choice for this situation. After the repair, I straightened out the shapes of the form, and carefully polished the silver plating. It looks fabulous for an object over 100 years old.
Repairing Silverplate Frame for a Glass Vase Flower Vase
This silverplate frame held a glass vase. The pot metal was brittle and it had broken into a number of pieces. To conceal the repair, I did all the work on the inside, and added fine sterling wire on the outside to conceal the repair.
Antique Brass Repair
Repair of antique brass magnifying glass
The brass bezel around the glass holds the magnifying glass in place. It had an ingenious solution. Half a screw on eac side of the bezel lined up to screw into the handle. The brass bezel arrived broken. Though it looks simple, this was a very technical repair cutting a new brass screw lengthwise, rebuilding the broken bezel, and soldering the two halves exactly in the right place. Perfect~ the customer was very happy. This magnifying glass was in her family for generations.
Decorative object Repair
Porcelain box with Metal Edge and Hinge
The metal hinge on this porcelain box was broken which is why the customer brought it in for repair. Now that the hinge is repaired, the customer can continue to cherish this memento.
I have never broken anything, but repairing porcelain objects with a metal edge is always at the customer’s risk.
painted sterling figurines
Sterling Silver Figures with painted details
When these cast sterling silver figures arrived at my studio, the original paint was worn and chipped, in some places the paint was almost completely worn off. After documentation of the remaining paint, the figures were cleaned and polished, then repainted by hand.