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Caring for and Cleaning Vintage Costume Jewelry

October 13th, 2009 · No Comments

The Jeweler's Steam Cleaner.
The Jeweler’s Steam Cleaner.

vintage style silver cameoAhhhh the beauty of jewelry. While vintage costume jewelry is getting to be more and more popular all the time, I am still baffled at those who turn their noses up at it. But many fabulous stores offer us various pieces from vintage jewelry to antique gems.

silver vintage ringThe plethora of choices out there now, and the ease of availability is astounding, if you were to take just a peek at this style of jewelry then you’d be hooked, I know you would. And if you don’t yet have designer signed jewelry in your wardrobe then you are just plain missing out.

And if you are smart enough to have any vintage pieces then you need to learn all you can about cleaning vintage jewelry and cleaning antique jewelry asap.

The Best Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner.
The Best Ultrasonic Jewelry Cleaner.

gold vintage style earringsMany of the rhinestones and other faux gems that are found in vintage costume jewelry have foil backings. This is part of what makes their colors so rich and their sparkle so precious. These backings need extra care when you are cleaning vintage jewelry as they can peel off when wet or scratch off if you are not careful during cleaning. You should make sure to protect this foil from moisture whenever you can to prolong the life of the stones.

There are many different vintage jewelry pieces on the market and many of these contain gorgeous rhinestones in a rainbow of different colors. Some of these pieces have delicate features that must be looked after while you’re cleaning antique jewelry. Cleaning the stones and even the thin wires is easy, just be gentle and use only mild solutions and a nice soft lint free cloth.

All-In-One Jewelry Cleaning Kit

Since vintage jewelry is not new, oftentimes the claws holding in stones or edges of the piece are askew. These can then get caught in any cloth you are using, so be careful! You could permanently damage the jewelry this way. Try running your fingers over the piece before you start, this will allow you to feel if there are any spots where a cloth could catch and pull the metals.

vintage flower jewelryAnyone who owns these types of costume pieces should be careful of the way to go about cleaning vintage jewelry plating on each piece. You do not want to polish away the natural patina of any vintage costume jewelry. It is this patina that lends it the sophistication that only comes with age. If you do not clean this vintage jewelry the right way, you could be polishing away the value, this is especially true of sterling silver pieces.

You can find many products to help you when it comes to cleaning antique jewelry online. This is a growing market, it has to be in order to keep up with the collectors like you! Vintage jewelry is fun to collect and even more fun to wear. Don’t let the cleaning and care of vintage jewelry get you too scared to buy some, it really is easier than you might think.


Upside Down Tomato Garden at Hammacher Schlemmer

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