Ways to Preserve Your Vintage Jewelry

If there is one thing that you need to know about your vintage treasures, it’s that they are very delicate and susceptible to damages twice more than any regular ornaments. So, if you are still holding on to some of your family’s estate jewelry, you want to make sure that you are handling them the right way that would extend their lives to as long as possible. The first thing about antique jewelry is that they require regular cleaning, and by regular, I mean weekly. Here are some things that you can do to make sure that you are giving your jewelry the extra something they need for maximum preservation.

Ways to Preserve Your Vintage Jewelry

A Cleaning Product for Every Jewelry Type
The first step to cleaning antique jewelry is the trickiest of all. There is no one cleanser that does for all types of vintage ornaments. You need something very specific for every metal. Believe it or not, but every metal and mineral reacts differently to each cleansing product. So, if you are not correct in your selection of cleansing products, you will end up harming the jewels more than doing good. For some, a simple baking soda solution works wonders. For others, you need something extra like a dish detergent. Whatever else you use, make sure it doesn’t have ammonia. Diluted ammonia is a greater cleaning agent for jewelry, but they pose great risks to weak and vulnerable articles like antique and aged pieces.

Dust Brush for Dusting
Post cleaning, you want to make sure that the residual dirt is removed before the jewelry pieces are sent back to their boxes. Use a soft-bristled brush to dust the pieces. Do this with care and patience. It may take a while and therefore you need to have enough time at hand to carry out this post-cleaning process. Use a magnifying glass if necessary to reach the tight sides.

A Re-Polish Every Once in a While
Getting the ornaments polished every once in a while is vital to the preservation of the luster. This is not something you can achieve through a DIY endeavor unless you know what you are doing. For most of us, we feel confident sending our pieces to a trusted jeweler who can do the job professionally. As the pieces return all sparkly and shiny like before, wrap them up separately in micro-fiber kerchiefs and put them in compartmented boxes or pouches before putting them back in the vault.

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