Antique Restoration Shop for Old Rings: Trabert Goldsmiths

Trabert Goldsmiths, at 2420 Fillmore Street between Jackson and Washington Streets in Pacific Heights, is where many San Franciscans take a grandmother's ring that has lost a stone, a clasp that no longer closes or a band worn thin by a century of wear. It works by appointment, Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 5:30 pm. For an antique restoration shop that specializes in jewelry, this small bench-and-showroom on Upper Fillmore is a good first call.

The shop's About page says it was founded in 2002 by Kristy and Eric Trabert. Eric holds a BA in metalsmithing from Humboldt State University. A 2016 profile in The New Fillmore fills in the rest: around 1998 he went to work as an apprentice for Tom Bergin Goldsmiths on the same street, and in 2002 Bergin sold the business to him. That is why the shop sometimes describes a longer lineage of vintage jewelry work than its own name suggests.

The practical result is a goldsmith who has spent more than 25 years at one bench on one block. The cases out front hold Trabert's own designs as well, so the same hands that rebuild a mounting also make new work, which helps when a missing piece has to be made from scratch to match.

The restoration page lists the core jobs: tightening and resetting loose stones, repairing or replacing prongs and clasps, reinforcing worn metal, stabilizing a piece that is structurally weak, rebuilding worn settings, and cleaning and refining the surface. Heirloom preservation sits at the center of it, meaning the goal is to keep a 1910s filigree mounting looking like a 1910s filigree mounting rather than turning it into a new ring.

Trabert also repurposes old pieces and makes copies of heirlooms. If three siblings each want their mother's ring, a copy is a gentler answer than sawing the original apart. Old stones can also be moved into a new setting, with the antique mount kept intact for later.

The shop describes six steps. First comes an evaluation of the metal, stones and earlier repairs. Second is a preservation plan that sets out what will and will not be touched. Third, the piece is taken apart only if needed. Fourth, the restoration is done with traditional techniques. Fifth, stones are reset. Last comes a finish that keeps the patina rather than polishing it away.

Ask during the evaluation which earlier repairs show up under the loupe. Lead solder from an old fix, a resized shank or a replaced head are common on Victorian and Edwardian rings, and knowing about them changes what is safe to do next. Trabert also offers consultations on gemstones with GIA credentials, useful when you are not sure whether the center stone is a diamond, a white sapphire or paste.

Trabert Goldsmiths does not publish a price list, and every restoration is quoted after the piece has been seen. Book a slot through the Booxi link on the shop's website, or email info@trabertgoldsmiths.com. Because the showroom is appointment-based, walking in on a busy Saturday may mean waiting or coming back.

Bring the piece in a small box or pouch, not loose in a pocket, and keep any stone that has fallen out in a sealed envelope. If you have old photos of the ring being worn, they help the bench see the original shape of a bent mounting or crushed gallery. Insurance appraisals and old receipts are also worth bringing for valuable pieces.

A few problems get worse fast and are worth booking for straight away. A stone that clicks or turns when you tap it has a loose setting, and the next knock can send it down a drain. Prongs worn to flat, shiny pads no longer grip the girdle of a diamond. A shank worn thin at the bottom, often on rings worn daily for decades, can crack right through. A bracelet or necklace clasp whose tongue has lost its spring will open without warning.

Other wear can wait. Surface scratches, a soft glow on old gold and slightly rounded edges on engraving are part of an antique piece, and polishing them away cannot be undone. A good restoration fixes what threatens the piece and leaves the age that makes it worth keeping, which is the line Trabert's preservation plan is designed to draw before anyone picks up a tool.

The Fillmore Street shopping strip between Bush and Jackson is one of the city's best walking streets, lined with bay-window Victorians, boutiques and cafes. Mureta & Co., an antique and estate jewelry shop founded in 1983, is next door and known for its pineapple door and a jade tree where people trade small pieces, so it is easy to compare old mountings with what you have.

Two blocks west, Alta Plaza Park climbs to a terraced summit with views over the Marina to the bay. Its stepped stone stairs on the south side are a short climb after an appointment, and the tennis courts and playground make it a busy neighborhood park on weekends.

The 22-Fillmore Muni line runs along the street and runs north and south past the shop. The 1-California and the 3-Jackson cross close by, so it is simple to reach from downtown without a car.

Address: 2420 Fillmore Street, San Francisco, CA 94115, between Jackson and Washington in Pacific Heights. Hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:30 am to 5:30 pm, by appointment only; closed Sunday and Monday. Email: info@trabertgoldsmiths.com. Services: stone resetting, prong and clasp repair, metal reinforcement, worn-setting repair, cleaning, heirloom copies and repurposing.

The shop's online Journal, with new entries posted through August, September and October 2026, is a good way to see the kind of estate pieces and redesigns that come across the bench before you book. Book ahead, bring loose stones sealed, and say up front how much age you want kept in the metal. Ask the Karpo APP to line up a lunch on Fillmore or a walk to Alta Plaza around your appointment time.