How to Care for Your Antique Rhinestone Jewelry

Caring for your jewelry whether it is antique, vintage or brand new is basically the same type of care.  It only takes a few minutes to make sure that your rhinestone pieces are bright and sparkly just like when they were new.  Here are a few tips to care for your favorite rhinestones easily.

Rhinestones are usually made from glass or crystal and come in clear or colored stones.  They contain a foil backing so that the light reflects into the stone and that is what makes it flashy. Without the foil, you would have just a boring clear stone. Since the foil backing is under the stone, these can never be submersed in water or the stone will come out looking dark.

To clean your stones, you will want to take an old soft brush, like a makeup brush, and use it to loosen the dirt under the settings.  Another option is to use a can of compressed air.  Use a very soft cloth and dampen it slightly with water and wipe off the stones.  If there is still dirt, you can use some rubbing alcohol and a cotton swab and lightly brush the stones down and then wipe it clean.  Take care when using the water or alcohol to not get the stones too wet. You should never resort to a commercial cleaner for cleaning your rhinestones.  It will damage them.  Allow your piece of jewelry to dry completely before storing it.

Polish your rhinestones with a cloth every so often to keep the dirt off and keep them looking bright and new.  Old rhinestones that are signed can be worth a good deal of money so taking care of them is important for your investment and your pleasure in wearing nice, clear stones. 

As with other jewelry, rhinestones can be scratched from other pieces or because of the heaviness of these items, they can actually damage softer jewelry you may own.  Store all of your rhinestones away from different types of stones to preserve the quality of your jewelry.  A jewelry box with compartments would be perfect in this instance.

By using these tips for the care of your vintage, antique or new rhinestones, you will be able to enjoy your rhinestones for a long time to come.  Keeping your rhinestones in good condition will help to ensure that you can someday pass down prized pieces to your children and they too can enjoy the beauty of the rhinestone.

by Jasmine Yesak, Contributing Editor at ChasingTreasure.com, online retailer of quality jewelry boxes, jewelry organizers and watch boxes. Jasmine is a Jewelry Enthusiast and Organization Consultant, she writes about Jewelry Care and Jewelry Storage Tips.