Make A Bold Statement

Make A Bold Statement by martinimermaid featuring necklaces

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How to clean & care for Vintage & Antique Jewelry

How to clean & care for Vintage & Antique Jewelry

You have a nice collection of vintage or antique jewelry. It's lovely...it sparkles...it's a heirloom...and it will need to be stored, cared for, and cleaned so that it stays that way. This page is devoted to tips for taking care of, and cleaning, your precious jewelry.

Care

There are several things to remember when thinking about caring for vintage and antique jewelry. These are all elements which could cause deterioration over time:

1. Scratching. Be careful that your jewelry isn't stored so that the pieces rub against each other. General scratching, at best, and scratching and loss of stones at worst could be the result. Leave room between the pieces and, if they are especially treasured, a soft pouch or cloth around them might be considered.

2.  Temperature changes. Any increases or decreases in temperature can affect the glue and cause stones to fall out.

3.  Moisture  Jewelry's biggest enemy.  Moisture can be the breeding ground for Verdigris damage or rust damage, and pitting of metals.  Also...all rhinestone jewelry is at risk of losing the foil backing of the rhinestones and loss of their luster if moisture comes in contact with them.  For this reason, it is especially important to be careful wearing jewelry in moist places, i.e.  the beach, saunas, pools, even in very rainy weather.  Chlorine is particularly damaging to stones and metals.  Also important is to make sure that the jewelry is completely dry after any cleaning is done before putting them away.

4. Household jobs. It is important to remove jewelry when doing household cleaning and other jobs, and particularly when doing any heavier cleaning or yard work or gardening.

5. Containers. A container is a container is a container. Right? Unfortunately, no. Not all containers are equal when it comes to storing jewelry. Oak cabinets give off fumes that can damage jewelry, so an oak jewelry box may not be the best bet. Many jewelry pieces come in small boxes, designed to store the piece. Even these can cause damage, in time, because they probably contain sulphur, which can damage the metal in gold and silver jewelry. As stated above, soft pouches or cloths around special pieces are a good choice. Other good choices are metal or plastic containers and zip lock bags. (Zip locks are especially good for rhinestone jewelry...if a stone gets dislodged...it stays in the bag!) If you have a large collection of display vintage jewelry, a curio cabinet is fine for storage.

6. General storing tips.  Keep items separate from each other, and be sure to store beaded jewelry flat, especially if it is strung on silk, because silk stretches over time. Keep jewelry away from sunlight, heat vents, and hot car interiors.

Cleaning

Okay...you know how to store your jewelry...but no matter how well you do this, some dust will eventually get into the storage area and into the jewelry. How do you do this safely? The following will give you some cleaning advice:

1. There are many products available to clean vintage jewelry. Make sure that the one you choose does not contain alcohol, acids or ammonia. If you decide to use a product designed for cleaning jewelry, please read the label and make sure that the product matches the piece. i.e...don't use sterling silver cleaner to clean rhinestone jewelry, for instance.

2. Windex, sprayed onto a soft cloth is a good choice if you do not go the jewelry cleaner route. BE SURE, in either case, not to spray the cleaner directly onto the jewelry, but rather onto a soft cloth first, in a very small amount...just enough to do the job. Soapy water is not suggested because it can leave a residue on the jewelry and can make stones look dull.

3. Before cleaning inspect the jewelry for dust and other grit. Use a magnifying glass or loupe. It will help to see if there are any loose stones or settings, which can be tightened before attempting to clean. In all cases, the softest toothbrush (or make up brush) you can find is a good choice to lightly dust first before attempting to clean the item. (Be VERY careful when cleaning aurora borealis stones, since they will scratch very easily.)

4. Once you have lightly dusted the jewelry, spray a little Windex, or jewelry cleaner on a very soft cloth. Make sure that it is not too wet. It should be just damp enough to get the job done. If there is dirt in small places, a little cleaner on a Q tip will be useful.

5. In all cases, be sure that the jewelry is completely dry before putting it away. Remember that moisture is jewelry's biggest enemy. Why bother cleaning it, if you are going to put it away wet, just to find out that you've damaged it yourself through carelessness. I suggest drying for at least 15 minutes UPSIDE DOWN so that any moisture will flow away from the jewelry, not into the settings.

6. Finally, a soft polish with a special polishing cloth, like a Sunshine Polishing cloth. (can be purchased at many places online, and some jewelry shops.) They are inexpensive cloths and do a wonderful job of polishing a jewelry piece to make it look almost new.

7. How often to clean? There is no general rule of thumb. If it is a piece that you wear often, you could clean it every week or two. If it is a special piece that is used only occasionally, you might just clean it right before wearing it, or when putting it away again for storage. With a little care in storage and cleaning, your precious vintage and antique jewelry will give you years of enjoyment, and will be able to be passed down to your descendents.

Loving Vintage Jewels

I am still enjoying the lifestyle of a serious collector and reseller of collectible vintage costume jewelry! I simply wouldn't have it any other way! I hope everyone has a collection of some kind to love.... that would be my wish!

Care for Your Vintage & Antique Jewelry

Care for Your Vintage & Antique Jewelry

Once you’ve purchased your vintage and antique jewelry pieces, you’ll want to preserve their beauty and value. A few simple steps can help you maintain your vintage costume jewelry.

• Wear vintage jewelry with care: Vintage jewelry is difficult to repair, so wear it with care. Remove your jewelry when using household cleaners and when doing physical activities.
• Store vintage jewelry separately: Store jewelry separately in soft, zipped-up pouches to protect your pieces from the elements and from dust, which is abrasive.
• Use a jewelry polishing cloth: Keep it simple. Use a special jewelry polishing cloth to keep jewelry dust-free.
• Remove grime from vintage jewelry: Use a baby wipe or glass cleaner and a soft cloth to remove grime from stones.
• Keep vintage jewelry dry: Never place vintage jewelry and antique jewelry directly under running water.

Cameos, shell cameos in particular, can discolor and crack from drying and aging, and require special care. You can do your part to keep them clean and moisturized.

• Store your cameos: Store cameos in a clean, dry place.
• Clean your cameos: Completely cleanse your cameos once or twice a year. Clean cameos gently with a soft-bristle toothbrush in a mild soap-and-water solution. Rinse the cameo thoroughly with warm water immediately after cleaning. Never soak shell cameos or “soft” stones in any cleaning solution for more than 30 seconds.
• Prevent cameos from drying: Moisturize the cameo with mineral oil or baby oil. Apply the oil with your finger, a cotton swab, or a soft cloth. Let the cameo soak overnight.

Discover Types of Vintage & Antique Jewelry

Types of Vintage & Antique Jewelry

Seek hallmarks of antique jewelry and vintage jewelry to round out your collection.

• Bakelite jewelry: Bakelite, also known as Catalin, is a dense synthetic resin that can be molded and carved to make jewelry, among other things. Patterned bakelite items of the Depression era, created by integrating one color with another, are collector’s items today.
• Bookchains: Victorian-era bookchain jewelry is made up of engraved rectangular links that look like tiny books. Large lockets were often integrated as an elaborate touch.
• Cameos: Cameo refers to a carving style where a design is up above the surface, in relief. Carved on a shell or in stone, such as sardonyx, the most common cameos are portraits of women, which were particularly popular in Victorian times.
• Celluloid jewelry: Celluloid jewelry, made from one of the earliest plastics, was first manufactured in the late 1800s. Derived from a natural plant fiber, celluloid was used for a variety of objects, including hair accessories, which were commonly set with rhinestones. (Warning: celluloid deteriorates if not stored properly and is flammable as well.)
• Doublets: Doublets are two pieces of inexpensive jewelry (usually a garnet and some colored glass) attached to create the illusion of a ruby, an emerald, or some equally impressive gemstone.
• Filigree jewelry: Filigree jewelry is ornamental handiwork of gold or silver wire twisted into intricate patterns and fused into place.
• Jet jewelry: Jet jewelry, also known as gagate, is a form of fossilized coal that was mostly mined near Whitby, England. The hard, yet lightweight black stone was commonly used in mourning jewelry during the Victorian period.
• Lace pins: Ladies of the Victorian and Edwardian eras used lace pins to hold their scarves in place.
• Micromosaics: Made with tiny, colorful tiles of stone, glass, and other materials, micromosaics are small pictures or decorations commonly found on pins. Some Italian-made treasures utilized over a thousand tiles per square inch!
• Mourning jewelry: Queen Victoria popularized mourning jewelry after her husband Albert died in 1861. Many widows then took up the tradition of wearing it to mourn the loss of a loved one. Mourning jewelry is often black, made of jet or black glass and metal with a Japanned finish. It is fairly subdued, featuring little ornamentation or details.
• Signed or stamped jewelry: Signed jewelry and stamped jewelry undergo a process where a punch or die cuts or embosses a sheet of metal with a mark or pattern in relief. Mass-produced jewelry and many medallions are made using this process.

How It All Began...

Since my early 20's I have been in love with treasure hunting. I love going to antique flea markets, any kind of swap meets, garage & estate sales and high end thrift stores. You just never know what you are going to find! As a matter of fact that is what I am going to go do again today. Hope to find something beautiful to resale or just to keep as all my own. I love the lifestyle and my dream is to one day go to the 400 mile long garage sale on the east coast one day! I just can't wait! I will need a uhaul, I'm sure! I love running my three online vintage shops now but still go out and sell at local antique flea markets from time to time just to stay connected in the community.
I hope you are able to come back often and to find beautiful additions to your home and to adorn your body with beautiful jewels!
Thanks for stopping by.....