Silver is a soft metal and can be easily damaged. If you've recently unpacked following a house move to find that the treasured silver medallion you were awarded for a sporting achievement has been bent in transit, you might think all's lost.
However, it is possible to fix a bent silver medallion by following the instructions below.
Start by removing the medallion ribbon or lanyard if it has one.
Place the medallion in the oven and heat it up gradually to a temperature of about 1800C. Pre-heating the silver prevents it from cracking when you apply the blow torch.
Put a saucepan upside down into a pan half-filled with distilled water. Take the heated medallion out of the oven and put in on the pan.
Now use a blow torch to further heat the medallion until it turns pink.
Allow the medallion to cool slightly, and then tip it off the pan to plunge it into the water. When the medallion is cool enough to handle, remove it from the water and dry it off with a soft, cloth.
Now place the medallion between two flat pieces of plastic. Take a piece of round dowel and roll it firmly across the medallion 'sandwich'.
You will now need to repeat steps #2 to #5 in order to stabilise the repair within the silver so that it doesn't snap.
The medallion should now be almost flat again. Finish off the job by placing the medallion on a piece of paper towel on a flat surface protected by a piece of paper. Put the wooden block on top of the medallion and apply steady, even pressure to it.
Leave the medallion under the wooden block and allow it to cool down naturally. When you remove the block, the medallion should be completely flat again.
You can straighten out a bent silver medallion by following the instructions given above. If your medallion is very badly bent out of shape, or you're not confident in carrying out the job yourself, ask a local jeweller or professional trophy maker for more advice. They may be able to repair your medallion for you.