03 Feb 2016
Jade may be as strong as steel, but it is brittle, and that makes it vulnerable to breaks and chips. If your jade necklace is broken, it may be possible that we can repair it. Or you may simply need a replacement cord so you can wear your greenstone once again! Here are some of your options, in either case.
Pounamu, if looked after, will last generations. But if you wear your necklace all day every day, then it's likely that the cord will eventually fray and weaken. But don’t worry, this is an easy fix! Here are your two options.
If the cord of your necklace is simply threaded through a hole in the stone – as per the necklaces below - then you can simply from our website, and we will deliver it worldwide! These cords are adjustable in length and come in a variety of colours.
Pictured below for purchase: Single Strand Adjustable Necklace Cord. Price $10.00 NZD.
Pictured below for purchase Plaited Adjustable Necklace Cord. Price $15.00 NZD.
If your piece is lashed (or bound) – as per the necklaces below – we offer a rebind service, however there are some limitations to this.
If you ordered from us online or have a receipt for your in-store purchase (within the last 6 months) get in touch and we will work with you to get this fixed up. You can either visit us in-store at 1288 Fenton Street Rotorua, or if you are unable to visit our store, we can organise a rebinding via post. Please email customercare@mountainjade.co.nz in the first instance with a picture of your necklace that needs rebinding and we will be in touch regarding payment, postage, required details and where to send your piece. Your necklace will be re-bound with the same length cord in the same colour and thickness, unless you request otherwise.
NB. Do not send your piece to us without first contacting customer service, as there are some specific details we need from you that must be included in the package with the piece. Any pieces sent to us without these details, will be returned to you as 'Return to Sender'.
The cost of rebinding is $50.00 NZD (excluding postage) and usually takes 7-10 business day (excluding shipping times).
If your piece is more than six months old, we refer you to Oronegro Jewellery, who are based in Auckland and are a specialised jade repair workshop. You can contact them at oronegro.jewellery@gmail.com to discuss options and pricing. Unfortunately our workshop is experiencing higher than usual demand and so we are unable to handle your rebind request ourselves, at this point in time. If you are in Australia, you may prefer to contact Atua Māori Carvings at atuamaoricarvings@outlook.com.
If you are outside of New Zealand or Australia, we recommend you find someone local who can help, or for more simple lashings there are some good resources on YouTube that may aid you, especially on things like the slide knots coming undone.
If your piece is less than six months old and was purchased from us (either online or in store) please email customercare@mountainjade.co.nz with a picture of your necklace and the issue, and we can advise of steps from there.
If your piece is more than six months old and you are in New Zealand we refer you to Oronegro Jewellery, who are based in Auckland and specialise in repairing broken jade (they experts in working with the brittle and unique nature of Nephrite Jade). You can contact them directly at oronegro.jewellery@gmail.com to discuss options and pricing.
The only exception to this, is if your piece was carved by one of our own studio artists (Tamaora, Aka or Makaire) in which case, please contact customercare@mountainjade.co.nz and we can take a look in the first instance.
Regardless of how old the piece is, if it was purchased somewhere other than Mountain Jade we cannot repair this for you, and again advise contacting Oronegro Jewellery.
Repair prices (if fixable) start from $50.00 NZD.
The most common break we encounter is a clean snap right through the stone, leaving it in two pieces. People often presume that these pieces can be simply glued or pinned back together, however, we do not recommend this as it is highly likely your necklace will break again in the future.
Instead, if possible, we recommend re-shaping the larger piece of broken stone into a new necklace that you can once again lovingly wear. And sometimes, if both broken pieces are large enough, we can create two individual necklaces from the stone – perfect for gifting to a friend or loved one!
If your necklace hasn’t snapped, but instead the stone has chipped from contact with a hard surface, we can often sand and smooth out the chip depending on the severity of the damage. This is likely to alter the shape of your necklace slightly, but unfortunately there is no way to avoid this!
You may also notice a crack running through the body of the stone due to contact with a hard surface. This may eventually lead to a snap, so it’s best to stop wearing your necklace for now (in case you lose part of the stone) and get in touch with us to see if there is anything we can do.
Unfortunately, some necklaces just can't be repaired. The stone fragments may be too small, it may have been cracked in too many places, or the cost to repair it may be higher than the cost of the necklace itself. We fully understand how upsetting this can be.
When you are ready, we would love to help you find a new necklace to treasure - our team will always be here to help guide you in selecting the perfect replacement necklace.
You can explore our full collection of traditional jade necklaces here, shop by design, or discover our gold and silver jewellery.
