For general vintage jewelry cleaning I recommend using products that don’t contain alcohol, acids or ammonia. Except in specific cases. If you choose to use a jewelry cleaning product make sure it matches the piece you are cleaning- for example- don’t clean your rhinestones with a sterling silver cleaner.

I have found that Windex works very well in cleaning vintage jewelry. Do not spray the Windex directly on the jewelry piece. Spray a small amount on a soft cloth first then use the cloth to wipe down the pieces. In spite of my mother’s well meant advice in this case the best thing in the world for you is NOT hot soapy dishwater! (Sorry Mom !) Soap can leave a filmy residue on your pieces which will make them appear dull and dim.

Before attempting to clean any piece carefully look it over using a magnifying glass or loupe. Check carefully for loose stones and tighten them up before attemptiong any cleaning.  Use a very soft toothbrush or makeup brush to dust off the piece throughly before attempting to do any deeper cleaning.  After you have dusted the piece use your soft cloth that has been sprayed with a little Windex to carefully wipe down all the surfaces.  The cloth should be just damp- not soaking. If you have a difficult to reach spot then a little bit of Windex on a cotton swab can help get into tight places.

As I have said before make sure your piece is completely dry before you put it away.  If you are going to take the time to clean it then please make sure you finish the job by letting it dry completely after all moisture is the enemy of vintage jewelry.  If I am cleaning a piece that I want to wear right away then I will use my blow dryer on it’s lowest coolest setting to dry the piece. If you are worried that maybe you let a little too much moisture get on the piece you can place the piece upside down so any moisture can flow away from the piece and not settle into the settings.

For a final polish I use a commercial polishing cloth like a Sunshine cloth. These are available at jewelry stores and online. These cloths are very soft, inexpensive and can give your piece an almost like new shine!

Last week I worked on this wonderful cuff bracelet that had a broken wire and was losing beads. I was able to locate replacement beads online from two different vendors- of course. Once I had everything assembled the piece went back together smoothly.

I mentioned earlier that I like to make new jewelry out of vintage components. I have been converting old silver ware- mostly spoons- into unique bracelets. I have come across some beautiful old silverware patterns at my local thrift store. When making one of my bracelets I try to compliment the style of the silver with sterling silver beads.

Or, as in the case of this bracelet I mix crystal with silver. I have had clients come in with pieces of silver from their grandmother’s estate so I could make a bracelet that is personal to them.  This past holiday season I created 6 bracelets for one client and each one used spoons from her grandmother and each recipients birthstone. They turned out beautifully and my client reported that each recipient was touched by the sentiment attached to their bracelet.

I am one of those people who keep lots of stuff because you never know when you might be able to use or or make it into something new. I was doing some reorganization of some of my storage units for my vintage jewelry components and I noticed I had accumulated quite a wonderful assortment of crystal spacers. These spacers are referred to as rhinestone rondelles. They are found many times on strings of pearls to add some sparkle and they come in quite an array of color. They can be silver or gold plated. These rondelles got me to thinking so I started looking through my other drawers of components until I found a beautiful rhinestone studded multi strand silver plated clasp. With the rhinestone rondelles, the clasp and a broken vintage strand of pearls I set about to create a unique “new” yet old piece of jewelry. Before I even had this bracelet finished I sold it when a woman walked into the studio and fell in love with it.

vintage pearls, rondelles and clasp made into a new bracelet

This beautiful Weiss brooch was coated in dust and dirt when I received it. In fact it looked more gray than black and the sparkle was just not there. Since these stones are glued in I needed to be careful about the way I cleaned it. First I used a very soft toothbrush to loosen the dirt. I use a baby’s toothbrush because the bristles are very, very soft and shouldn’t scratch the metal.  Then I use a cotton swab dipped in rubbing alcohol*  to very gently clean away more dirt and grime. If it is really dirty, as in the case of this brooch, I will repeat the process two or three times or until I am satisfied that it is clean enough. The top portion of the brooch has been cleaned - the b0ttom portion is in it’s found state.  When I finished cleaning this piece the sparkle in the stones came shining through once again.

*rubbing alcohol- because rubbing alcohol evaporates quickly I find it is pretty safe to use in moderation and with caution on glued in rhinestones. It is sort of like “dry cleaning” the piece. Remember- you want to introduce the minimal amount of moisture to your vintage pieces.

Help!

Because of the nature of verdigris acid based cleaners are the best choice for cleaning pieces of  vintage jewelry that have been diagnosed with green junk.

Don’t run out and look for toxic expensive chemicals to clean your jewelry with. What you need is in your cupboard and it’s easy on you and the environment. Any of these cleaning methods is more than likely to end up with a loss of plating on your piece but that is much better than the severe damage that verdigris can incur over time.

Lemon juice, ketchup and vinegar are all listed as being good for cleaning your jewelry. Sounds weired to be using things you can eat as a cleaning solution I know but what these three items have in common is their acidic base. PLEASE BE CAREFUL! You may clean up one mess but create another! Before using any of these methods I recommend you use a soft bristled brush to remove any loose green junk and other dirt that has collected in the nooks and crannies. I use a child’s beginner tooth brush because  the bristles are very very soft.

Lemon Juice- is very acidic.It’s a good choice for glass and metal jewelry. I also prefer to use it on copper jewelry with verdigris. Use the lemon juice full strength and soak your piece for about 15-20 minutes and use a toothpick or your toothbrush to get into the small spaces. Remember- no foiled back rhinestones should be placed in a liquid solution! The advantage of lemon juice over vinegar? It smells so much nicer!

Ketchup- the great thing about ketchup is that it doesn’t move around. It will pretty much stay put but it is hard to clean it off when the repair is finished. Use it in very small amounts and apply it with a toothpick. You can use a cotton swab too but I prefer the smaller head of a toothpick.  Check the piece often and don’t let it harden on the piece. This method is best used on rhinestone set pieces because it it not as liquid as the other methods and we all know that liquid damages foiled back rhinestones.

Vinegar- is used the same way as lemon juice is. It’s a good choice for glass beaded jewelry and metal jewelry. I prefer the lemon juice because of the odor! Sterling silver and some gemstones should not be soaked in vinegar nor should silver plated pieces. The rule for foil back rhinestones also applies to vinegar.

When you are finished cleaning your jewelry is it very important that you dry it thoroughly. Moisture is what got you into this mess to begin with. I use a compact blow dryer on its lowest setting with cool air to dry my pieces quickly and thoroughly. All of theses cleaning processes take time and patience but are worth it when the end result is a piece of vintage costume jewelry that you can enjoy for many years to come!

Just a few words about these wonderfully sparkly pieces of glass. All rhinestones are not created equal. The best are leaded glass. Think of a leaded glass chandelier- the facets are brilliant when the light hits them- the same is true about rhinestone jewelry. Leaded glass will give you a brilliance that plain old glass can never do. Keep this in mind when replacing missing stones. Look for the brilliance. Austrian crystals are brilliantlybeautiful!  If the piece is a signed designer piece such as Eisenberg, Coro, or Trifari then make sure you replace with good quality stones.  Don’t get me wrong- even unsigned pieces will have quality stones in them.

I used to pass right over pieces that were missing a stone or two. Now I will give these pieces a chance. If it’s only one or two stones that are missing and the rest of the piece is in excellent condition- no dreaded verdigris or cloudy stones - and the cost is reasonable I will more than likely purchase the piece. I  found an excellent source for vintage rhinestones on the web. I have ordered from this company and have found the service to be EXCELLENT! If you are looking for replacement stones for your jewelry please check MRstones out!

http://www.MRstones.com 

replacement stone ordered from MRstones for this vintage gold tone enameled and rhinestone bracelet.

I had this bracelet for five years with one stone missing and finally was able to repair it with a recent order from MRstones. I am so glad I kept it because now it is gorgeous!

Yesterday I told you about that nasty  blue to green junk that you find on vintage jewelry. It doesn’t mean that it is poorly made nor is it beyond hope.  The most common places to find verdigris is on clasps, spacer beads, and the inner part of chains- check carefully on necklaces the area that is in direct contact with skin. As you can see by yesterday’s pictures verdigris is not just limited to necklaces. Earrings are vulnerable because of the close contact with the skin and perspiration.  It can be found on all kinds of costume pieces. Verdigris can be passed from one piece of jewelry to the next so it is very important you separate the contaminated pieces from the clean ones.

Please remember that verdigris does mean damage. If you see that green or bluish junk on a piece of jewelry you have damage. A successful repair will depend on how serious the damage is. The smallest amount of green present means there is a small amount of damage to the plating. Severe verdigris means severe damage which can cause the metal to become brittle and break.  When looking at vintage jewelry look at prongs for rhinestones and necklace clasps- these places become very vulnerable when hit with verdigris.

This pair of unsigned foiled rhinestone earrings have been damaged by verdigris. There is now a dead spot in the center of these beautiful earrings.