If you are like me you spend a lot of time wandering flea markets, thrift stores, garage sales and auctions. When it comes to buying vintage jewelry keep in mind these tips before you buy. Nothing is more disheartening then getting a piece home and really looking at it after the “honeymoon” of finding it is over.  In the case of this signed Coro brooch , it wasn’t until I got home from a wonderful afternoon of junking that I realized the top left pearl was a lower quality replacement. Now it sits on my replacement shelf waiting for me to find a better match. Taking this into consideration I would not have paid what I did for it at all.
What is the physical condition of the piece? A well cared for and therefore more valuable piece does not have to look new, after all, it is termed vintage for a reason but it should not look it’s age either.

Missing, cloudy, black or mis colored rhinestones stones: these devalue the piece. If stones are missing inspect the area to see if they are missing due to becoming loose from the glue or in the case of prong set stones the prongs have broken off. In the case of missing stones due to old glue this is an easy repair, however, if the stones are missing because the prongs are broken or missing I would put it back on the shelf and say a little prayer to the Rhinestone Goddess for the mistreatment of one of her treasures.

Missing or broken parts and tacky plating:

 Here is a prime example of what to pass up. This brooch has some wonderful stones in it and they would be easily replaced. Take a good look at the metal. it is in very poor condition. The plating has worn off in places and someone down the line tried to brighten it up by using something on it to cover the old plating. Poor workmanship or repair flaws are a sure sign of a lower quality piece. Missing pieces such as the clasp mechanism on the back of a brooch takes some skill to repair. I have accumulated quite a few pieces of old brooches to use for repair. You will want to match the metal color and patina as closely as possible so your repair doesn’t stick out like a sore thumb. The same goes for necklace and bracelet clasps. make sure whatever you use keeps the original integrity of the piece as much as possible.

Poor repair workmanship: Sometimes you find a piece that has already been repaired. Take a good look at it. Did they use the right glue when resetting a rhinestone? If there is a hard yellow glue residue around the stone or pearl it was not repaired properly. Was the repair stone replaced with an inferior one?  These repair mistakes can be easily corrected by you and you can restore the piece back to it’s glory with the proper tools. (see previuos posts about repair kits and tools)

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!

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.

The number one cause of deterioration in vintage costume jewelry is moisture.  Moisture can damage the backing of foiled rhinestones. it is also the cause of the ”green junk” that many people find on vintage costume jewelry. The technical term for this green junk is verdigris and it will slowly eat away at the metal if not treated.

The main source of moisture for most pieces of vintage costume jewelry is perspiration from  the person who wore it. If verdigris is not treated it will contaminate other pieces of jewelry so be sure to separate the pieces you may have that show signs of green junk. Verdigris means damage- but- all is not lost. There are many ways to take care of  this problem.