Vintage Jewelry Unleashed ~ Vol.3 ~ March 2006

Table of Contents:
New Items | Tips | Books

New Items at Vintage Jewelry Online.com

This month’s newest collection features some unique and hard to find items including two rare tortoise shell watchbands, one with gold clasps and another with sterling clasps as well as an original Vikingcraft sterling calla lily pin. There is also a fabulous apple juice bakelite bracelet and clip set that is pure retro! To see them all in a group, click here.

Here are this months featured items. I hope you enjoy previewing them.

The new featured highlights are found on the home page and include:

• a gorgeous Miriam Haskell 4-strand baroque necklace #CS-00131
• a hard to find Vikingcraft Sterling calla lily pin #SS-00013
• a large Art Nouveau sash pin with authentic amethysts #AO-00018
• a rare tortoise shell watchband with gold clasp #AA-00012
• a rare tortoise shell watchband with sterling clasp #AA-00013
• a retro apple juice bracelet and dress clip set #CB-00085

Jewelry Tips

Cleaning Jewelry

Jewelry, both costume and fine sterling and gold will last a life time and be able to be handed down from generation to generation if properly cared for. All you need is a little patience and a soft hand. The softer the touch when cleaning, the longer it will last.

Costume Jewelry with Rhinestones --

1. Take a very soft toothbrush or cloth and gently brush the rhinestones. This will take off an amazing amount of loose dirt.
2. If this isn’t sufficient, you can spray the cloth or brush lightly with an ammonia based cleaner. Rub the stones and metal gently but do not scrub. Less is more.
3. Dry these immediately with another soft cloth and let them air dry completely before you put them away.
4. If your piece has green corrosion you can try blotting it with lemon juice or ketch-up using a Q-tip. Let the vegetable cleaner sit for 5 -15 minutes and keep checking it every few minutes, particularly the ketchup. Both have small amounts of vegetable acid and will get rid of the “greenies”. Do not use these near faux pearls. It may remove the delicate nacre.
5. Water and condensation will erode the stones as well as the metal so make sure the piece is dry. Some people use a hair-dryer to dry their jewelry quickly.
6. Some stones will be dull and considered “dead” regardless of what you try. If you have a supply of replacement stones, this will not hurt the value of the item to replace it if done properly.
7. If the metal portion of the jewelry needs cleaning you may use a Sunshine cloth or a Jewelers Rouge Polishing Cloth. Both are available on line. If this doesn’t work, try Simichrome. (See below under Bakelite)
8. Do not submerge rhinestone jewelry in water. Stones can easily become lose and unglued. Water will also erode the foil back on the stones and the metal.

Bakelite -- The best way to clean bakelite is to use Simichrome. This can be purchased at most antique stores, hardware stores and bike shops.

1. Simichrome is an all-purpose crème that can be used on bakelite, celluloid, lucite, sterling, chrome and gold.
2. Take a dab of simichrome polish and place it on the item.
3. Rub the polish into the item with a soft rag or cloth. Do not use a treated cloth like the Sunshine or Jewelers Rouge cloth.
4. Continue to rub the remaining paste into the item until all residue is gone. There is no need to rinse the piece in water. Avoid putting bakelite in water. If there is the slightest crack the water may collect and the piece will warp.
5. This is also a great crème to test bakelite. See Vintage Jewelry Unleashed, January 2006 #1.

Sterling -- Sterling silver tarnishes from interaction of the metal with sulfides in the air. It is a natural process and one that cannot be prevented. Although if kept covered in plastic containers or bags, you will prevent air from reaching it and the silvery sheen will last longer. The biggest decision you have is determining how much natural patina to leave. Many people like the darker patina and some like a highly polished sheen. This is a personal preference and there is no wrong answer.

1. To gently clean the sterling you may use a plain soft cloth, a Sunshine cloth or a Jewelers Rouge Polishing Cloth. Gently polish the piece until the desired sheen is obtained.
2. There is no need to wash the piece in water.
3. You can also use Simichrome. Follow the steps above in the Bakelite section being careful not to over do the amount of crème. You don’t want to leave the crème in cracks or crevices of the piece.
4. Don’t use a crème on sterling pieces with marcasites or other stones as the crème’ can easily get trapped around the edges and the glue can come undone. Use a soft cloth, as it won’t harm the marcasites or stones.
5. I advise against using liquid cleaners, and dipping the pieces, as they tend to be exceptionally strong and can easily strip the patina.

Gold -- There are many methods to cleaning gold jewelry. The simplest is probably the best but all are safe. You’ll find you have a personal preference, one that yields you the best results, most conveniently.

1. Most gold jewelry can be cleaned in warm soapy water, and can be gently brushed using an old toothbrush and then dried and polished with a soft cloth.
2. You can also make a mixture of 1/3 amount of each...warm water; lemon based dishwashing cleaner and ammonia. This is typically the combination of most proprietary jewelry cleaners.
3. The Sunshine and Jewelers Rouge cloth can also be used.
4. Simichrome is a good general cleaner. Follow steps outlined above.

Book Corner

Whether you are a beginning or advanced collector I hope you find these books useful. You can click on the links and order these from Amazon.com at substantial discounts.

For autographed copies of "European Designer Jewelry", and the update of Lillian Baker's "Plastic Jewelry of the 20th Century", by Ginger Moro you may contact Ginger at modmoro@earthlink.net Descriptions of these two books can be found below the Amazon.com listings.

Recommended Books --

European Designer Jewelry -- 20th century costume, fashion, and artists' jewelry in 13 countries of Europe and Scandinavia in 300 pages with 700 photos, mostly color are covered. It includes French Art Nouveau and Art Deco, German Jugendstil and Deco, British and Dutch Arts & Crafts, Czech and Venetian glass beads, Hungarian neo-Renaissance enamels, Scandinavian silver, Brit Swingin' Sixties, and French couture jewelry 50s-90s. Available for (12% discount) for $70 plus $5 shipping.

Update of Lillian Baker's Plastic Jewelry of the 20th Century -- All the captions have been re-written, based on new info that has surfaced since Lillian wrote the book. Celluloid, Bakelite, Catalin, Galalith, cellulose acetate, Tenite, and Lucite jewelry are all described and photographed in color- alongside vintage plastics ads. The value guide has also been brought up to date. Available for $29 including shipping directly from Ginger.

Best wishes,
Shelley