Condition
Based on your inspection, note the condition of the item: wear, damage, prior repairs, and all factors that affect the value of the item, the potential for damage claims, and the ability to repair it successfully.
In addition, list any unusual features or factors the bench jeweler should know or the record should show. If, for example, you have recommended a repair (retipping worn prongs, for example) and the customer declines that recommendation, write it here. If the customer then returns demanding a new stone because the stone fell out of the mounting you repaired, you have proof that you saw worn prongs, warned of the danger, and repair options were declined.
At Customer’s Risk
When the jewelry is in poor condition, or has heavily included or fractured stones, have the customer acknowledge that the job is At Customer’s Risk. Explain the risk involved in the repair, assure that you will use extreme care in performing the work, but be clear that you cannot be responsible if the stone or jewelry is further damaged. Then, after listing the condition and the risk involved, write At Customer’s Risk on all copies and on the envelope.
This acknowledgement is different from a blanket disclaimer statement on the envelope, in that it refers to a specific condition of the stone or item of jewelry at the time of take-in and not to after-the-fact damage.
If a stone breaks and the customer has an individual jewelry policy, many times that policy will cover the stone (even if it broke during repair). Most homeowners’ policies with jewelry riders, however, do not provide this coverage.
Instructions
Clearly, specifically, and completely write the repair instructions in terms the bench jeweler understands. You want to eliminate confusing, incomplete, or inaccurate instructions and with them the chance of unacceptable or unwanted repairs. Do not write Please Fix or Solder. State exactly what the customer wants repaired.
A story is told about a young couple who had their first baby. Soon after the baby was born the father stayed home with the baby by himself. When the mother returned she was greeted at the door of their house with a horrendous odor. “Could you not change the baby’s diaper,” she demanded of her husband. He assured her that he had thought he should, and even started to do it. “But” he explained, “the box states the diaper holds up to 12 pounds!”
Often a bench jeweler feels the same frustration trying to understand instructions on the job envelopes, as this new father experienced reading the diaper box.
Ring Repairs
Since most ring repairs involve resizing, sizing tools and techniques are very important. Ring measurements should be accurate to within 1/8 of a size.