Taking Care Of Vintage Costume Jewllery: Stage 1: Maintenance

Taking Care Of Vintage Costume Jewellery.  
Stage 1 Maintenance.

1. Don't sleep in it, take it off before you go to bed.
There are many reasons for this, obviously a very delicate piece could just be destroyed  by the every day tossing and turning of sleep.

2, Don't shower or bathe in it, take it off before hand. Hot water will slowly erode any glue settings, rhinestones will be lost.

3, Never ever do hot tubs with jewellery on, this shouldn't even be for vintage jewellery, it should be a warning sign for ANY jewellery, the chemicals in hot tubs affect all stones, ( I cant' even, there's chlorine and bromine usually added to the general maintenance disinfect as well as many others) even precious ones if you love pearls, don't even think about it.  Pearls are really badly affected by hot tubs, keep in mind pearl jewellery is mainly hand strung the older pieces on natural fibers, you are slowly bleaching both the pearls and material used to string them.  They just cant stand up to it.

4. Perfume. Put it on before jewellery and give it time to settle, or just don't wear it in places where you are wearing jewellery.  Perfume natural or not is still just a series of scented chemicals you are applying. Spraying over vintage jewellery will leave a coating, some of the chemicals may interact with and damage your pieces.

4. If its a valued piece family piece, keep it that way, store it carefully, don't mix it up with other jewellery. And Keep any family history alive, by any letters, mentions in letters, of the pieces, photos etc. 

5, If you buy a vintage piece be aware what you have bought, a costume jewellery piece from the 1920's - 90's  will still decay quickly if you don't love and look after it.

6. Verdigris, the dreaded green sign of decay to costume jewellery.  If you notice this on a piece, separate it from the other pieces. Clean it thoroughly, if you catch it early you may be able to save the piece, but still keep it separated from other jewellery.  Think of it like a virus it can be passed on by touch, but between jewellery.


Hope these tips help, we''ll add some more practical maintenance advice soon as this list was mainly a ' Do Not Do section '

Whats the difference, between antique and Vintage? What actually is vintage.

In terms of jewellery and many other items, what is the actual difference between antique and vintage and not vintage?



Vintage:
In terms of jewellery, clothes, toys, household and pretty much all goods its commonly accepted that after 20 years of age an item becomes vintage , hence 80's and some early 90's  items are now considered vintage as are 30's 40's, 50's and 60's items. ( Wine and spirits are a whole different cup of tea when describing vintage ).

This lovely blue enamel flower bracelet is vintage, likely 1960's - 70's.  Formed in a floral design its a truly statement piece for its time. You can view more of our Vintage bracelets by clicking the link. Visit Bracelets









Antique
This is a industry standard, widely accepted term, for an item and that is 100 years plus, not just jewellery, toys, household items everything, if its 100 years plus its considered an antique.

If somethings 100+ years its an antique.

This brooch lovely Scottish brooch is an antique, it's formed from early electroplating of silver onto a base metal. You can check out more of our brooches antique and vintage Brooches by clicking the link.View the brooches










Vintage Style:
Does not mean its vintage, it is a term often used for items designed that show a nod to the past in their style and design. If unsure just ask the seller.

These stunning earrings by the designer Monet aren't quite vintage though they are made in a vintage style.
You can see more of our truly vintage and vintage style style items by clicking the link View Earrings







So if somethings an 80's thingy yes its vintage,  as is a 30's thingy, both are vintage.  If its from Ebay, or any similar site saying its vintage and they have 20 -30 of this item item in stock then its doubtful its vintage it more than probably a modern item made in a vintage style. ( Though it could be a dead stock item, that another discussion for another day )!!!
Don't be afraid of asking the seller if you are unsure!
But also have realistic expectations if you are buying an item sold as vintage item, don't think its an antique 100+ years, it shouldn't be, it has been described to you as vintage.

So in basic and the most important terms,  a truly vintage item is 20+ years up to 99 in age. 
An Antique is 100+ Years Or Older.

New Arrivals For August.

Sorry for so long delay between posts, we have just been super busy . As with all months, July had seen some awesome and unique new arrivals to the shop. ( I'm aware it August but these darlings hit in late July ) So I'll take this opportunity to highlight some of our new favorites.  Its all about earrings right now, here are some of our new faves.

These huge Swarovski clip on earrings are a true statement piece, they are clip on so can be worn by anyone.  The large deep purple amethyst crystal is truly stunning




Just because I love the over top decadence of Indian wedding,  Bollywood style pieces , I couldn't help but add these beauties.  Large, oversize they are just amazing.

Set with rhinestones, and blue beads, these large earrings are truly a statement item of jewellery.
Be brave to wear them, they are BIG.






We all love the art deco style, but during this period stunning naturalistic pieces were still being designed. These earrings sum up that style, probably produced from Europe rather than the UK.

Vintage Earrings

 These lovely screw back earrings are formed from pale aqua glass rhinestones and brass filigree, dating from the 1930's - 40's.
They are really unusual and add a certain ' Je ne sais quoi ' to any ensemble.