Old jewelry and old jewelry components can become new jewelry creations--if you follow these tips. Upcycling, restoring and reusing grandma's jewelry bits is a popular and efficient way to make sure family treasures aren't lost forever. Any fan of estate sale shopping will be able to get ideas for what to do with old jewelry and use these tips to turn their second-hand treasures into first-rate style!
Old jewelry and old jewelry components can become new jewelry creations--if you follow these tips. Upcycling, restoring and reusing Grandma's jewelry bits is a popular and efficient way to make sure family treasures aren't lost forever. Any fan of estate sale shopping will be able to get ideas for what to do with old jewelry and use these tips to turn their second-hand treasures into first-rate style!
Your first investment should be a handheld loupe--your best friend for getting up close and personal with jewelry! It's a great practice to have a jeweler's loupe in your pocket or purse for shopping expeditions. In different lighting and environments, the 10- times magnification is worth a million bucks. In the video, Doreen shows how a loupe is used, then explains the different kinds of metal purity markings and where to find those markings on old jewelry.
Some unusual metal purity markings are:
If it's not stamped, it still may be precious metal. In the USA, precious metal can't be sold as such without a stamped purity designation; however, on some old pieces or jewelry components from Europe, the stamp has worn off or simply is not there. When repurposing costume, vintage or broken jewelry, knowing what your metal contents are makes a difference during cleaning.
Like clothing, accessory jewelry styles tend to recycle themselves as well. It's fun and easy to take these "found" treasures and re-fashion them into usable accessories. You can make new things using Grandma's old jewelry, since many of the "old" styles are in vogue right now, but with a different twist:
Final tips for identifying, reusing and repurposing old jewelry and other pieces:
The side treasure is developing a fun hobby that'll get you out meeting people, as well as exploring new places. Use a keen, imaginative eye; you'll never know what you'll find!
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