A Lot To Know When Cleaning Jewelry

 

You won't believe all the different ways people have come up with to clean their jewelry.  Some of these I knew about.  But some of these ideas are new to me.

•  paste of baking soda and water
• Colgate toothpaste
• Dow bathroom cleaner
• denture cleansing tablets
• whitening formula Mentadent toothpaste
• Parsons' ammonia
• hand sanitize  (don't use on pearls)
• Simple Green
• Smirnoff vodka
  

If it's a paste, just rub on rub off then polish.  If it's a liquid, mix with water, let item(s) soak, rinse and polish dry.

Obviously I did not think up this stuff on my own.  It came from a new book of mine, Clean It Fix It Eat It by Joey Green.  People wrote in giving up their ways of doing just about anything using name brand products.  Name brand products not used for their intended use that is.  Sometimes discovered by accident.  And, I bet sometimes the listed ingredients gave them a hint it might work.  And that's okay.

I would love to hear about any other ways someone might clean their own jewelry that has not been listed above. Leave in a comment before you go.

Resource 

I stumbled upon this informative guide by Olive Yew.

Comprehensive Jewelry Cleaning Guide 

Bonus Tip 

Remove a ring stuck on your finger...

•           Johnson's baby oil
•           Miracle Whip
•           Preparation H
•           Windex 

All About Cameos

I have taken the following from an all inclusive article published by eBay.com, 

Your Guide To Buying Vintage Cameos.  Follow this link to read the article in its entirety. It's a must read for anyone interested in cameos

"A cameo is an elevated engraving formed into stone, shell, glass, coral or another gem material. Artisans carve the design into the top section of the chosen base substance.  After completing the initial carving, jewelry makers will remove more material to make a background"... read more  

    

This is a great article from Collectors Weekly with lots of pictures.
Purchase a cameo from 1928.  Elegant and timeless.

Authentic vintage and antique cameos can be viewed and purchased at Ruby Lane.  They have a price range of under $ 25 all the way to over $5000.  The latter being carved from a diamond.  WOW!

Stamped Markings On Jewelry Defined

SILVER 

925 = Sterling 
Sterling 
Taxco 
MEXICO 

PLATINUM

Pt 
Irid. Plat. 
Pt 900 
Pt 950 
PLAT 

GOLD 

K = Karat ( 14K would be 14 karat etc...) 
KP = Karat Plumb (the manufacturer guarantees it the minimum amount of gold) 

410 = 10K 
585 = 14K 
750 = 18K 
917 = 22K (Asia) 
999 = 24K pure gold (Asia) 

GF  gold filled 

RGP rolled gold plate 

HGE Heavy gold plate 

GP gold plate 

KP Karat Plated 

GS Gold shelled 

EPNS Electroplated nickel silver (german Silver) 


What about KP as in Karat Plumb
In Europe they use KP to signify that there are exactly X parts of gold, so 14KP means that there are exactly 14 parts gold or 58.5% gold.

Gold in the US, prior to October 1st 1981 it was legally allowed to be stamped ½ karat under the actual gold content if no solder was used in its manufacture. If solder was used it could legally be 1 full karat under the hallmarked karat content.

After October 1st 1981 gold jewelry not containing solder could only deviate from its hallmark purity by 3 parts in 1000, and gold jewelry with solder is allowed to deviate by 7 parts in 1000.
It is not legal to hallmark Gold Jewelry made in the US at less than 10K (you will see 9K as an example in England).

Is it K or ct or just a 3 digit number? The ‘ct’ is interchangeable with ‘K’ for karat. The term KARAT refers to the fineness of gold. The word CARAT usually refers to a weight, generally for gemstones but is also used for gold. All a bit confusing, but both are OK to use. The number refers to the fineness of gold in parts per 1000. All these marks are acceptable as it depends on where it was made.
There are many carat amounts used in jewelry. Below are the most common…

8K, 8ct or 333 (parts per 1000) or is 33.3% gold (usually European. Not recognized in USA. The lowest possible standard. Will tarnish sometimes)

9K, 9ct or 375 (parts per 1000) or is 37.5% gold (mainly British Commonwealth countries. Not recognized in USA. Hard wearing.)

10K, 10ct or 416 (parts per 1000) or is 41.6% gold (Minimum USA standard. Hard wearing.)

12K, 12ct or 500 (parts per 1000) or is 50% gold (usually old watch cases. Rarely seen)

14K, 14ct or 585 (parts per 1000) or 58.5% gold (Asian for overseas market. Common in USA. Russian 584.)

15K, 15ct or 625 (parts per 1000) or 62.5 % gold (British Commonwealth countries. Discontinued c1935. A good indicator that the piece is old.)

18K, 18ct or 750 (parts per 1000) or 75% gold. (Most quality pieces are 18ct. Minimum gold standard for sale in Italy.)

22K, 22ct or 916 (parts per 1000) or 91.6% gold (mainly Asia, Middle East. Very soft. Very yellow)

24K, 24ct or 1000 (parts per 1000) or PURE gold (too soft for most jewelry manufacturers)

Other countries will designate their gold content by stamping the numbers above into the jewelry.  For example "625" "750" "916".  I came across a ring once that had a three digit marking not like the ones I was use to seeing.  I took it to a jewelry store and found out it was gold.  The place I had acquired it from had processed it as "junk" because they did not know of these different markings.  

Tackling Jewelry Chaos

Literally. 

A plastic tackle box with shelves that pop out when the lid is opened can make a perfect jewelry box. Really?  These tackle boxes have a lot of small compartments that are designed to hold a single lure. So why not re-purpose one of these boxes to keep your jewelry organized and tangle free.

It might take a little cleaning (who am I kidding, a lot of cleaning) but you might look for one at a garage sale if your budget is tight.  Or splurge and get a brand new one.  And have fun decorating the outside, get creative.  You will for sure save time and frustration by not having to untangle necklaces or look for the other earring if it's all nice and neatly stored in your customized jewelry box.
 

You have a few choices when it comes to storing and sorting earrings.  Like an empty egg carton, ice trays or a 28 day pill container.

Take a frame and attach plastic canvas to it.  A wire screen could work too for holding earrings.

Bracelets are the ideal length to display on a coffee mug tree.  Remember those?  They were a big hit not too long ago.  Does anybody know if they are still sold in stores.  If not, I am sure you'll find one in your local thrift store.
 
Here's another idea for necklaces.  A bulletin board and some tacks work perfectly. Decorate! I have seen some decorative tacks in stores that would be perfect for this project.  Paint the frame or glue jewels around the frame or both!!!  You decide.


Tell us your creative ideas for storing, sorting or displaying your jewelry.  Or maybe you sell your jewelry at craft shows or flea markets.  Tell us how you display your items for sell.