TIP TUESDAY: Cleaning Your Vintage Jewelry

If you have a piece of vintage costume jewelry that you want to wear for your wedding but it is a little grubby, here are a few tips for bringing back the sparkle. However, always be careful, spot check before you clean the whole piece to make sure it doesn’t damage it.

Vintage Polcini Earrings (Photo from www.bespokenfor.co.uk)

Tools to use:
- Fine brushes – eye makeup ones, lip brushes or paint brushes work well – I use one of the angled body shop brushes!
- Toothpick or cocktail sticks
- Small amount of warm soapy water – dishwashing liquid works well
- Small amount of clean water
- Polishing cloth or lint free cloth
- Kitchen paper

This is how I clean vintage jewelry. Because most is plated, care must be taken not to remove the metal finish, so avoid rubbing the piece.
1) Dip the brush in the soapy water
2) Blot the excess water from the brush on the kitchen paper (this is to prevent it getting too wet, as water can damage some pieces)
3) Brush of the dirt one quick brush
4) Rinse the brush in the clean water
5) Repeat until all the piece has been cleaned gently
6) Use the lint free cloth to shine any stones and to dry it afterwards
7) Use the tooth picks to get into trick areas to remove dirt

Jenni Bush is an Essex, United Kingdom-based, jewelry designer with Bespoken For. She is featured weekly on theBrideScoop to share her thoughts on all things that twinkle. Please follow Jenni on facebook and twitter or visit Bespoken For online.

Written by Bespoken For

Jenni Bush is award winning designer of bridal jewelry at Bespoken For based in Essex, England. Her jewelry designs have adorned brides worldwide and graced many bridal magazines. Jenni loves to work personally with brides to create the perfect accessories to match their style and their dress.

Jenni is a contributor to theBrideScoop and shares her love for all things that twinkle.

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