After carefully evaluating my wardrobe, I realized that there were some serious issues. I didn't have any jewelry to go along with my outfits, and it was really frustrating. I started looking around for great places that might offer what I was looking for, and I was able to find plenty of great earrings, necklaces, and bracelets to go with my outfits. I was pleasantly surprised by how much fun it was to wear the new items, and before I knew it, I felt like I looked a lot more professional. Check out this great blog for awesome advice on enjoying beautiful jewelry.
-
The Ultimate Guide to Custom Features in Your Ring Design 2 January 2024
-
How to Incorporate Diamonds into Your Punk Style 5 October 2023
-
Selling Your Old Gold Jewelry 12 December 2022
Enjoying Beautiful Jewelry
Caring For Your Fun, Fabulous Costume Jewelry Pieces
Edward Adams
Costume jewelry has not been around forever. Before a certain icon took it to the masses, women either wore their genuine pieces or none at all. Coco Chanel changed all that when she rebelliously piled strand after strand of faux pearls around her neck and changed the way people accessorize forever. This type of jewelry needs special care to maintain its appeal, so read on to find out more about caring for your fun, fabulous costume jewelry pieces.
Green Metal? Not So Fast
Many types of metal make up costume jewelry. Some are made entirely of brass but most are alloys of nickel and other metals with a shiny finish. You can find yellow gold, platinum, and even rose gold-appearing metals but green is most definitely not attractive. If you spot what appears to be a greenish growth on your costume pieces, take action to preserve your treasures. That green stuff is called verdigris and it can be very damaging to metal. Here is what to do when you spot it:
- Keep affected pieces away from unaffected ones – it can spread like a virus if you don't.
- You can use household standbys like ketchup, vinegar, or lemon juice to gently remove verdigris in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.
- Apply your product to the affected item and let it sit for up to around 30 minutes.
- Gently loosen the green stuff with a super-soft toothbrush after that.
Unfortunately, some metal finish can be lost but the verdigris has to be removed to save the item from being vulnerable to breakage.
Other Costume Jewelry Care Practices
- Make it a habit to wipe down your pieces before you put them away. A soft polishing cloth works fine.
- Keep your faux jewels in a box and out of the light. Sunlight can discolor plastics.
- Keep your pretties from touching other pieces by using a box with dividers. That helps prevent scratches and tangling.
- Avoid using perfume, spray fragrances, hair spray, and the like when wearing your costume pieces. They can contain alcohol which will ruin the metal finishes and dull faux pearls.
- Never store jewelry in sealed plastic bags. Moisture can be trapped in the bag leading to pitting and rusting of the pieces.
Lucky for you, inexpensive and wonderful costume pieces can be found in jewelry stores everywhere and you might even come across estate collectibles there. Make Coco proud and wear your fantastic pieces with pride.
Share