Restoration
Breathing life into jewelry that has so much love to give. Our extensive & thorough restoration process is what makes CJEX unique in the preloved space. Our Restoration Team has been with us over 17 years and is committed to bringing you the best finished product. We often hear, "It looks brand NEW!"
What is the process?
Step 1: Initial Inspection
Our buyer, Mark, thoroughly inspects each ring, earring, necklace & bracelet. Putting all style & current trends aside, he critiques each piece for wear & damage (he has perfected his diplomacy -don’t worry).. For us to add a piece of jewelry to our preloved collection for resale, it must be in pristine condition & show very few signs of wear. Prongs will be checked for wear & if there are any indications of prior damage, the piece will be scheduled for salvage. Chain ends will be checked for secure clasps. And moving parts, for example, lever backs on earrings, are tested to ensure they are functioning properly. Mr. Mark is very strict, many pieces don’t pass his watchful eye and are salvaged. Yeah, he’s that guy.
Step 2: Cleaning
Next, we move to, what we affectionately refer to as 'The Shop' for cleaning. Each item is carefully polished and buffed on a polishing wheel. This is the step that makes the gold, silver or platinum shine, free of scuffs & scratches. This is followed by an ultrasonic bath. The vibration carefully shakes out any debris. As jewelry is worn on the body, things like hairspray, perfume, shampoo get stuck around earrings & necklaces. Rings can get hand lotion, hand sanitizer and food lodged behind stones causing them to lose luster. The ultrasonic shakes out all that, for lack of a better work, gunk, allowing the diamonds & other gemstones to shine again. Last step on the cleaning trail is high pressure steam to remove all cleaning solution, water & fingerprints. Ta da!!
Step 3: Secondary Inspection
At times, once a piece of jewelry is thoroughly cleaned & sanitized we discover it is not suitable for resale (Oh NO). If this is the case, a call will be made to salvage the piece instead of re-sell it. Sometimes it just breaks our heart but we are determined to bring you nothing but the best when you purchase from us!
Step 4: And Finally!
Mark will carefully weigh each piece, measure diamonds & grade clarity/color. He cross references with current gold prices & New York asking prices for diamonds to determine a current appraised value. Then it is priced accordingly. After that it off to our inventory department for entry into our database, photography & uploading to this website.