How to Care for Your Precious Vintage Jewelry

If you love vintage jewelry, whether it be Bakelite, cameos, celluloid, or mourning jewelry, you probably have a wonderful collection that has cost you a pretty penny.  After spending so many of your hard-earned dollars for those little jewels, you should definitely know how to clean and care for it.

Proper Storage of Vintage Jewelry

The first step toward taking good care of your jewelry collection is proper storage.  If you store your antique and vintage jewelry the right way, it will need minimal cleaning.  Always store your pieces separately in zipped or closed bags.  Velvet works great for this, as well as small zip-type baggies.  Pieces with sterling silver elements will benefit greatly from airtight storage, because when exposed to air for long periods of time, sterling will tarnish due to a chemical reaction between sulfur compounds in the air and the silver.  Do not stuff the bags together tightly, as many vintage pieces have delicate parts that may be bent easily.  Storing your vintage pieces this way will also prevent scratches, which can de-value vintage jewelry.

Wear Vintage Jewelry With Care

If you buy vintage jewelry to wear, you should be very careful not to expose your jewelry to things like hairspray, perfume, and deodorants.  Always put your jewelry on last, after spraying those types products.  Don’t use perfume on areas where your jewelry will come in contact with your skin.  Also, if you plan to use any household cleaners, or do any exercising, remove your vintage jewelry first, so it won’t get exposed to those chemicals or the excess salt from perspiration on your skin.

Gently Clean Vintage Jewelry

The last thing you want to do is damage your treasures while trying to clean them, so follow these simple steps:

• Use a polishing cloth (like a Sunshine Cloth) to gently wipe off smudges and skin oils.

• Use an ammonia-free glass cleaner to remove any other dirt or grime.  Q-tips are good for this, as they can get into nooks and crannies without scratching anything.  Be careful of using too much cleaning solution, and NEVER submerge vintage jewelry in any liquid! There may be glue or coatings on stones that will not survive getting wet.  As always, don’t use cleaning solutions on pearls, emeralds, or coated stones, like vintage rhinestone jewelry with an aurora borealis (AB) finish on them.  That said, you can safely clean cameos in a solution of mild soap and water, using a soft brush.  They should not be soaked in the water for more than 30 seconds.

• After letting your newly cleaned jewelry dry completely from any cleaning solutions used, follow the storage recommendations above.

When in doubt about cleaning any piece of jewelry, take it to a dealer who is experienced in handling antique and vintage jewelry.  Dealing with vintage pieces is quite different than dealing with diamond stud earrings or even cubic zirconia rings.  Better safe than sorry, I always say.

That’s all it takes.  There’s not much to it.  If you will follow these easy steps, you will be assured of having a beautiful collection of wonderful vintage jewelry to show off or to wear.  Now maybe it’s time to start thinking about a collection of vintage jewelry boxes since you have your jewelry collection under control!