Question:
For Mother's Day/her birthday (both 13 May), my wife got a necklace of antique
glass crystal beads. The necklace probably dates back to the early part of
the last century. To go with it she bought a pair of new glass crystal bead
earrings.
Compared to the new earrings, the necklace looks a little dull and my wife
wants to clean the necklace. However, I don't know how to do it safely for
sure. My guess is a solution of vinegar and water, but I could be wrong. I
couldn't find much very helpful in a net search.
Any suggestions?
Answer:
-In my mother's store we handle alot of antique jewelry that requires cleaning .
I'd say your guess is right, vinegar & water or straight vinegar will probably
be the gentlest solution from which you'll get the best results. However, I
suggest not dipping the beads into the solution, it could deteriorate whatever
they are strung on. Rather put the solution in a spray bottle, lay the
necklace on a towel, spritz, and gently rub the beads between the toweling.
Stubborn spots may require spraying the vinegar on a small area of a rag and
rubbing it directly on the bead.
Keep in mind, since the earrings are new, the necklace may never match exactly.
The materials are not the same and probably have a different amount of
reflectivity ( a word? ). This is perfectly acceptable in my book, since I
never wear jewelry that matches . and always encourage our customers to
embrace uniqueness in their jewelry.
May your wife enjoy her crystal jewelry for many more years. And happy
birthday to her.
-An excellent suggestion, to wich I might add the possability of having the
beads restrung. If the cord is dirty, it can impart a dirty color to the
beads even if the beads themselves are clean. If beads are worn frequently,
restringing once a year is recomended. Examine the string, and the knots
between the beads if there are any, and use your own judgement as to wether
new white cord will be of any help. If the beads ARE knotted, and they are
loose and moving between the knots, the cord is stretched and they should be
restrung anyway.
