How to care for
Rhinestone Vintage Jewelry
Vintage rhinestones are faceted
pieces of glass in a variety of colors and hues. They are meant to
mimic precious stones and diamonds. They have been in production for
centuries, with the exception of aurora borealis rhinestones which were
first produced in the 1950. The original rhinestones were made from
pebbles in the Rhine River in the 1700s. Austrian and Czech
rhinestones are of high quality and much in demand in high end vintage
jewelry.
All rhinestones have a foil
backing. This foil backing is necessary for the stone to reflect back
the light. Without a foil backing, a rhinestone would simply be a
pretty see through stone. A damaged foil backing causes the rhinestone
to darken and lose its reflective ability.
This foil backing is very
susceptible to damage from moisture. Water is a rhinestone's enemy so
other methods must be used to clean them. Never use commercial
cleaners that are meant for other types of jewelry.
You will need several items to
properly clean your rhinestone jewelry: a soft bristled brush, (a soft
toothbrush or make up brush works well), a soft cloth (I use an old
strip of a soft cotton tee shirt), a small pointed pin for loosening dirt -
I find a small hat pin works nicely, or a dressmaker's pin with a rounded
tip. You'll also need rubbing alcohol, or Windex - this cuts grease
well and doesn't have a wax in it like some cleaners do, so it won't leave
any residue later.)
First, gently brush the rhinestones
with the soft brush. An exception is aurora borealis stones.
They scratch very easily, so shouldn't be brushed. Use a very soft
cloth on these. Either the cloth of the brush will remove any loose
dust. Sometimes, the rhinestone jewelry piece will only need this
brushing or soft cloth cleaning. If not, read on.
The hat pin can be used to gently
remove built up gunk around settings and prongs. It will easily lift
this away and is tiny enough not to damage the stones themselves.
Next, you can use either Windex
sprayed on to a soft cloth (NOT directly on the stones) or rubbing alcohol
on a q tip or a soft cloth. Be sure that the cloth is only moistened,
not saturated. (If you create any suds...your cloth is too wet.)
Blot often with a dry soft cloth. Gently continue cleaning the stones with
your moistened cloth until you are satisfied that the job is done. Be
careful about running too hard, or the cloth can catch on the prongs which
hold the stones in place.
Be sure to leave the jewelry out
for about an hour after cleaning to make sure that it is completely dry.
I suggest turning it upside down to make double sure. You can
also use the low heat of a hair dryer for a couple of minutes to hasten the
drying time. When it is completely dry, you should store it in a pouch
or small jewelry box away from other jewelry which might scratch the stones.
One final tip...when wearing your
rhinestone jewelry, put it on as the LAST thing you do before leaving the
house. This way, you make up, perfume, and hair spray will
already be in place and will not have a chance to be sprayed on the jewelry
and damage it.
With
a little care, your
rhinestone jewelry will give you years of wearing pleasure.
