Jewelry Repair Intake Checklist That Prevents Disputes

A jewelry repair intake checklist exists for one reason: so that when a customer comes back and says “this isn’t how I left it,” you have a written, photographed and signed record of exactly how they left it. Good intake takes three to five minutes per piece. It prevents the disputes that cost far more: lost tickets, missing stones, wrong promised dates and arguments at pickup.

Below is the checklist, the reasoning behind each line, a sample status flow, and a policy for unclaimed items.

Why do most repair disputes start at the counter?

Because the bench can only fix what is written down, and the counter can only defend what was recorded. When a stone falls out at the bench, a prong snaps during sizing, or a customer remembers their ring as “perfect,” the intake record is the only neutral evidence. If intake was a scribbled name on an envelope, the argument is your word against theirs.

The common failure points are predictable:

• No stone count. The customer later says a side stone is missing.
• No condition notes. Worn prongs, thin shanks and old solder joints were not mentioned, so the customer blames the repair.
• Vague work description. “Fix ring” becomes a disagreement about whether you were meant to size it, polish it, or re-tip the prongs.
• Optimistic dates. Promising Friday when the bench has a two-week queue.
• Weak pickup control. Handing a piece to anyone who says the right name.

What goes on the job envelope?

The job envelope (or bag, or tag) travels with the piece from counter to bench to safe and back. It must carry a unique job number that matches the customer’s copy and the record in your system. Everything else on it should let a bench jeweler work without asking the counter a question.

Field	Why it matters
Job number (unique, printed)	Ties envelope, customer copy, photos and record together
Customer name and contact	For updates and pickup
Item description	“Yellow gold ring, 4-prong solitaire, two side stones”
Metal and karat	Affects solder, sizing and pricing of added metal
Weight at intake	Proves metal was not removed
Stone count and type	The most-disputed fact in jewelry repair
Existing condition	Loose stones, worn prongs, chips, solder marks
Work requested	Exact and measurable: “size from 6 to 7”
Estimate and deposit	Avoids price surprises
Promised date	Your commitment to the customer
Assigned bench technician	Who to ask, and who is responsible
Customer signature	Agreement to the condition notes and terms

Print, do not handwrite, where you can

Handwritten job numbers get misread. A printed label with the job number and a barcode can go on the envelope and the customer copy, and can be scanned at every step. If you write by hand, use a pre-numbered book so numbers are never reused.

How do you write condition notes that hold up?

Examine the piece under good light with a loupe while the customer watches, and say what you see out loud as you write it. Condition notes are strongest when the customer heard them, read them and signed them.

The intake inspection, step by step

1. Count the stones. Write the number. For pavé or cluster work, count by row or section and note it (“pavé band, approx. 24 stones, counted 24”).
2. Check every setting. Tap gently and listen; look for movement. Note loose stones by position.
3. Check prongs. Note worn, thin, flattened or bent prongs. Worn prongs are the most common cause of stone loss after a repair.
4. Look for prior work. Solder marks, sizing seams, laser welds, replaced parts. Note them; they affect what the bench can safely do.
5. Check the shank and the clasp. Thin shanks, cracks, worn jump rings, weak clasps.
6. Note surface condition. Scratches, dents, chips on stones, abrasion on facet edges.
7. Weigh it. Especially for gold items where metal may be added or removed.
8. Test what you claim. If you write “18K,” you have checked the stamp or tested it. Otherwise write “stamped 18K” or “metal not tested.”

Language that avoids arguments

Write facts, not judgments. “Two prongs on center stone worn thin (positions 2 and 4)” is better than “prongs bad.” “Small chip on girdle of center stone at 6 o’clock” is better than “stone damaged.” If you are not sure whether a stone is natural, lab-grown or simulant, write “white stone” or “stone not tested” rather than “diamond.” For certified stones, see our guide to tracking certificates and serial numbers.

Which photos should you take at intake?

Take at least two photos per piece, on a plain background, with the job number visible in the frame. The photo is proof of condition at a moment in time; the job number in frame ties it to the record.

Photo	What it shows
Overall, top view	Design, stone layout, general condition
Close-up of the repair area	Damage before work
Close-up of existing damage	Anything you noted in condition
Side or profile	Shank, gallery, prongs
Inside stamp (if relevant)	Karat or maker marks

Attach the photos to the repair record, not just a staff member’s phone. Personal phones get replaced, and staff leave.

How do you set a promised date you can keep?

Ask the bench, not your hopes. Promise the date the work will realistically be done, plus a margin for parts and the queue. Customers forgive a longer date given honestly far more readily than a short date missed.

Some rules that work in practice:

• Know your queue. Before promising, look at how many open jobs the assigned technician has.
• Separate in-house and sent-out work. Casting, engraving, some stone work and watch repairs may go to an outside workshop. Add their turnaround.
• Flag parts early. If a clasp, stone or finding must be ordered, change status to “waiting for parts” the same day and tell the customer.
• Seasons matter. Before Diwali, Eid, Chinese New Year, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and wedding season, benches fill up. Lengthen dates accordingly.

What repair statuses should you use?

Use a short, fixed list that anyone at the counter can understand, and update it every time the piece moves. A good status list answers “where is it and when will it be ready?” without a phone call to the bench.

Status	Meaning	Customer message
Received	Logged, photographed, signed	“We have your piece, job no. X”
Awaiting approval	Estimate changed; customer must approve	“Please confirm the new estimate”
At bench	Work in progress	(none, or optional)
Waiting for parts	Delayed by a part or stone	“Waiting for a part; new date Y”
Sent out	At an outside workshop	(optional)
Quality check	Done; being checked	(none)
Ready for pickup	Done, checked, in the safe	“Ready for pickup, bring your ticket”
Collected	Released to the customer	Receipt

The “awaiting approval” step

If the bench finds something new, such as a cracked shank or more worn prongs than noted, stop and ask. Change the status, message the customer with the new estimate and wait for approval before doing extra work. Record the approval (time, method, who took it). This one step prevents most “I never asked for that” disputes.

How do you release a repaired piece safely?

Release only against the job number and a check of identity. The person collecting should present the ticket; if they do not have it, check photo ID against the name on the record and note that ID was checked instead of the ticket.

At pickup:

1. Scan or look up the job number.
2. Check ID if the ticket is missing, or if someone other than the customer is collecting (ask for written authorization from the customer).
3. Show the work. Let the customer inspect the piece under the loupe.
4. Compare to intake. Stone count, weight (if recorded), and the photos.
5. Take the balance and give a receipt.
6. Get a signature on the pickup copy, then set status to “Collected.”

What should your unclaimed-items policy say?

Your policy should state, on the ticket, how long you will hold a finished repair, how and how often you will contact the customer, and what happens after that. Some jewelers also add a storage fee after a stated period. Write it at intake, not after the piece has sat in the safe for a year.

A typical structure:

• A holding period after the piece is ready.
• Reminders at set intervals by SMS, email or WhatsApp, and a record of each attempt.
• A final written notice before any action.
• What happens next: continued storage, a storage fee, or disposal.

Check your local law before you sell, scrap or dispose of any unclaimed item. Rules on abandoned property, notice periods and what a business may do with uncollected goods vary between US states, and between countries. Some places require specific notices or treat certain items as unclaimed property that must be reported. Ask a local lawyer or your trade association what applies to you.

How GetJewelryPOS supports repair intake

The repair module in GetJewelryPOS holds job sheets with customer, item description, serial, reported problem, condition at intake, a checklist, due date and assigned bench technician. Statuses are configurable with colors (for example Received → At bench → Waiting for parts → Ready for pickup → Collected), and each status can send an SMS or email from a template. You can print the job sheet and envelope labels, issue a repair invoice, and customers can check status by their job sheet number. See jewelry repair tracking for detail, and tags and labels for envelope labels.

For larger work that starts as a design rather than a fix, use custom orders instead: quotation, deposit, stages and final invoice.

What to do next

• Print this checklist and tape it next to the repair counter.
• Rewrite your ticket so every field in the envelope table above has a place.
• Agree your status list with the bench and post it where both sides can see it.
• Write your unclaimed-items policy, check it against local rules, and add it to the ticket.
• Read our guide to controlling shrink on high-value stock, because repair pieces in the safe are your customers’ property and need the same controls. Or see how it works to set up a repair module in a trial.