How to Care for Vintage Jewellery: Simple Ways to Protect Every Piece

Value and enjoy your vintage jewellery instead of hiding it away.. It can either be earrings, brooch, necklace, or even a collection, but a little care will make sure that their beauty lasts for many years.

Unlike the contemporary accessories, vintage pieces often combine several materials in a single design. Designers often created vintage pieces using plated metals, glass stones, enamel, pearls, beads, delicate settings and older adhesives – all which react differently to moisture and cleaners. That is why the best way to clean them is slow, simple, and never hurried.

Start With Gentle Handling

Before wearing an antique jewel, pause to examine it under sufficient lighting. Examine it for any loose gems, broken chain links, or bent clasps which might fail to fasten properly. Support necklaces and bracelets with both hands to avoid placing unnecessary stress on them, but open and close brooches gently.

The jewelry item can be picked up by the metal frame rather than tugging at any gemstones, pearls or embellishments. Dry hands are preferable as moisturizer and natural skin oils can accumulate over time.

Make Jewellery the Final Touch

The simplest way to preserve antique jewelry is to follow a very simple rule – put it on last and remove it first.

Spray on your perfume, your hairspray, apply your skin cream and your makeup, then and only then do you adorn yourself with your jewelry. Remove all your jewelry prior to taking a bath, swimming, exercising, cleaning your house, and retiring to bed since these fluids could harm the surface and/or gemstones of your jewelry.

How to Clean Vintage Jewellery Safely

There is no universal cleaning procedure that will work for all vintage jewellery items. In case if you are not sure what material or how the vintage jewellery item was constructed, avoid putting it into water or any other solutions or using professional-grade jewellery cleaners. Steam and ultrasonic cleaning devices might also prove to be too aggressive for vintage jewellery with glued-on stones, coated or treated pieces.

A very soft and dry cloth can help you eliminate fingerprints and dust from the surface of your vintage jewellery. Do it carefully, do not rub the surface, especially those areas that have aged coating.

Take Extra Care With Pearls, Rhinestones and Enamel

Pearls, either genuine or faux, need special care. They must be wiped delicately each time after usage and should never be stored close to perfumes and cosmetics. It is recommended to put pearls on strings away from the water.

Regarding rhinestone jewelry, the rhinestones can be backed by foil and glued. Excessive moisture will cause them to become opaque and lose color or even come out of their place. This list contains all aspects which make vintage jewels so distinctive and charming.

Store Every Piece Separately

Proper storage protects your jewelry from scratches, tangling, and damage caused by pressure. Each piece of jewelry needs to be stored separately in a soft bag, lined section or even a box and not stored altogether in a single container.

Chains need to be fastened and laid down whenever you store them. The pins of brooches need to be closed up while pairs of earrings need to be put together. Statement pieces need enough room such that nothing is lying on top of them.

Inspect Your Collection Regularly

An easy check every few months will ensure that you recognize any slight change in the jewelry before it becomes a bigger problem. Inspect clasps, earring findings, stringing, jump rings, and gemstone settings. If any seems to be loose, do not wear it until it is checked out by the jeweler.

Keep all removed pieces of stone, beads or findings in a labeled envelope as even a tiny piece can be helpful for its repair.

Protect the Character, Not Just the Shine

Old age is not synonymous with poor quality. It is okay to have softness or some wear and tear in your vintage jewelry since this indicates how old and genuine your jewelry is.

At Daisy Lain, we understand that vintage jewelry is designed to be worn and cherished. By taking care of your jewelry, you can ensure that it shines whenever you want it to.