How to Store and Take Care of Antique Jewelry
Antique, vintage, and heirloom jewelry is undeniably special. Some antique pieces inspire joy simply because they have a rich history or belonged to a loved one. Other pieces may still be fashionable and are a staple in your wardrobe. Either way, it’s important to store and a care for your antique jewelry properly, so each special piece will last for generations to come. Although most jewelry care is common sense (don’t store your valuables right by the bathroom sink!), it never hurts to review proper care and cleaning tips.
How to Store and Take Care of Antique Jewelry
Storing
At the very least, antique jewelry should be stored in a cotton-lined box in a moderate temperature (an un-air-conditioned storage unit probably isn’t your best bet.) To avoid scratches, no jewelry piece should be in contact with another.
The following are a few tools you can take to protect your jewelry and extend time between cleanings.
Anti-tarnish paper tabs. These tabs are designed to protect sterling silver, nickel, copper, bronze, base metals, brass, tin, and gold. They will last up to six months in a regular container and up to one year in a sealed, air-tight environment.
Anti-corrosion, anti-tarnish zip-lock bags. An affordable long-term jewelry storage solution, these zip-lock bags are designed to protect sterling silver, gold, copper, bronze, tin, brass, magnesium, and ferrous metals (iron and steel) from tarnish and corrosion. These bags are non-toxic and will not leave deposits on stored items.
Wearing
Avoid spraying hairspray or perfume over jewelry. Apply these and any other body products prior to putting on your jewelry. Also, remove your jewelry before bathing, swimming, exercising, gardening, and doing housework—or any activity where you may exert yourself or be exposed to water or chemicals.
Cleaning
Antique jewelry should never be cleaned in an ultrasonic cleaner (jewelry bath). Although these cleaners are quite effective, the pulsation action may damage antique enamel or worsen a loose setting. Vibrations may also ruin delicate filigree work. Additionally, steer clear of store-bought dip solutions. These often contain harsh chemicals that can weaken enamel and otherwise damage an antique piece. Various metals and gemstones may require different methods and solutions for safe cleaning. For a breakdown of how to clean a particular kind of metal or stone, please consult the antique jewelry cleaning guidelines outlined by Past Era.
General Care
Be mindful of the settings on your jewelry. If you notice that a stone is loose, place the piece in a ziplock back and take it to your jeweler for repair. If possible, find a jeweler who specializing in antiques.
Photos: DWilson Antique, Deviant Art, Amazon
The Origins of Crystal Healing
Crystal lore and the belief in crystal healing is likely as old as the human race. Although beliefs about particular stones and the power attributed to them have evolved over time and between cultures, crystal mysticism seems to be here to stay. Indeed, crystals are becoming increasingly mainstream and may even crop up at your favorite spa or natural beauty shop if they haven’t already!
Many modern proponents of crystal therapy believe that crystals are conduits of healing, allowing positive energy to reach the user while relieving the user of negative energy that may contribute to anything ranging from a passing malaise to serious illness. Most medical professionals deem crystal therapy a pseudoscience, citing that at best, crystal healing serves as a placebo to make the user feel better and at worst, a distraction from scientifically-verified medical treatment. Nonetheless, crystals continue to grow in popularity despite the skepticism of the medical community—a theme that’s repeated in the history.
From the Dawn of Time…
Although we may never have proof that the lost city of Atlantis operated machines powered by crystals (or so the myth goes), we do know that talismans and amulets have been treasured by various cultures for millennia. Beads of mammoth ivory dating back 60,000 years (circa the Upper Paleolithic Period) were discovered in present-day Russia. Some 30,000 years later, jet beads used in bracelets were left in Paleolithic gravesite.
Much later in the course of human history, the ancient Egyptians used lapis lazuli, turquoise, carnelian, emerald, and clear quartz in jewelry and grave amulets. These stones were believed to bestow protection and health to the wearer. Meanwhile, topaz and peridot were used to purge evil spirits and ward off night terrors, and green stones served to represent the heart of a deceased individual and were included in burial ceremonies. It's rumored that Cleopatra surrounding herself with rose quartz and even bathed with them as an anti-aging measure.
Crystals were also valued by the ancient Greeks. In fact, “crystal” is the Greek word for “ice.” The ancient Greeks believed that clear quartz was indefinitely frozen. “Amethyst” meant “not drunken” and was used to prevent drunkenness and hangovers. The Greeks also relied on crystals during war times. Soldiers would rub hematite on their bodies before battle as a way of connecting with Aries, the god of war.
Jade was the stone of choice in ancient China. Jade was believed to heal kidneys. Chinese emperors were sometimes even buried in jade armor. Jade was also valued by the Maoris in 18th-century New Zealand. There, jade pendants were used to represent the spirits of ancestors.
The Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Even though the Christian church had banned amulets in 355 AD, by the time the 11th century rolled around, certain gems played important roles in church services. Sapphires, for example, were featured in ecclesiastical rings while agate was believed to make the wear more agreeable to others and more favorable in the eyes of God.
During the Renaissance, various medical treatises promoted the belief that particular precious and semi-precious stones could cure certain ailments. In medical settings, crystal therapy was often accompanied by herbal remedies.
Despite the popularity of crystal healing, skeptics were concerned that some gems were corrupted by the original sin and could be possessed by demons. In 1609, Anselmus de Boot, court physician to Rudolf II of Germany, asserted that angels (both good and bad) were present in stones. Good angels in stones would grace the possessor with well-being while bad angels in stones would persuade the wearer to believe in the stone rather than God. This spiritual concern coupled with the lack scientific proof in the healing power of stones caused crystal therapy to fall out of favor during the Enlightenment. But crystals would make a come back.
The New-Age 1980s and Beyond
In the advent of New Age spiritual practices in the 1980s, crystals emerged as an alternative healing method thanks to books by Katrina Raphaell and Melody and Michael Gienger. Presently, even though crystal healing is continually met with skepticism from the medical community, it continues to have a presence in alternative and increasingly mainstream therapies. Current crystal therapy methods include both ancient practices as well as new ones that have been “divined” or intuited by healers.
Photos: BijaMalas via Etsy, Wikimedia Commons, Catching Wildflowers via Etsy
What Are the Different Types of Opals?
Opals consist of hydrated silica and occur in rock fissures. Due to their structure, opals are considered mineraloids rather than minerals. Opals are the national gemstone of Australia but are also found in Ethiopia and Virgin Valley, Nevada.
Opal Lore
Opals have been the subject of various lore. During the Middle Ages, opals were associated with great luck and believed to carry the properties of every gem whose color matched one of the many colors reflected in the opal. Opals were also believed to bestow the power of invisibility. By wrapping an opal in a bay leaf and holding it in your hand, you could avoid being seen—or so the story goes.
Love of opals and belief in their inherent goodness dramatically changed with the publication of Sir Walter Scott’s Anne of Geierstein in 1829. The book describes a character who dies shortly after her opal comes into contact with a drop of holy water and turns black. Shortly after the book's publication, opal sales dropped by 50% in Europe and remained low for the next 20 years.
The Different Types of Opals
Natural
Black Opal
Black/Dark Opals are the rarest and most valuable opals. Found in the Lighting Ridge in New South Wales, black or dark opals have a naturally dark background, which allows their colors and rainbow tones to appear more vibrant. This natural layer of potch (colorless opal) on the back of the stone varies in darkness; the darker the potch, the more vibrant the colors in the stone. The more vibrant the stone, the greater its value. Most black/dark opals are cut into ovals or teardrops.
White Opal
White Opals or “milk opals” are light with a white body tone (as opposed to the black/dark body tone of the black/dark opals). Mined in southern Australia in the opal fields of Coober, Pedy, Mintabie, and Andamooka, white opals are the most common opals and therefore the least valuable--but they can still be quite pretty.
Crystal Opals can be light or dark and are partially transparent. Partial transparency may enhance the color (and value) of a stone. An opal with transparency may be referred to as a “white crystal opal” or “black crystal opal” depending on its body tone.
Boulder Opal
Boulder Opals form in ironstone cavities in Queensland. They’re typically cut with some solid brown ironstone remaining on the back; the ironstone backing functions like the dark potch on black/dark opals, allowing the colors in the opal to stand out vibrantly. Found in Quilpie and Winton, boulder opals vary greatly in size and may be found as small as a pea or as large as a car. These are the second most valuable opals and are distinct for their thin, colorful veins. Boulder opals tend to have a flat or undulating surface and are almost always cut in a freedom shape, which maximizes the size the of the stone.
Matrix Opals occur as a network of veins between crevices in the host rock (usually claystone or ironstone). An andamooka matrix opal is a kind of matrix opal that has been enhanced by soaking in a sugar solution and boiled in acid, a process that deposits carbon in the stone’s pores, creating a darker background. A natural oulder opal matrix is a matrix opal in its natural state; it consists of brown ironstone with small deposits of opal.
Polished Yowan Nut Opal
Yowan Nuts are found in Yowan in Queensland. These ironstone concretions resemble nuts, which can be cracked open to reveal a valuable opal in the center.
Synthetic/Manmade
Synthetic Opals are made in a lab with opaline silica, whose structure is similar to that of natural opal. Gilson Opals are the most well-known lab-created opals. Synthetic opals generally show brighter colors, are larger, and have a more ordered array of colors. Numerous subgrains in synthetic opals produce a delicate snakeskin pattern.
Imitation Opals are made with colored tinsel set in clear plastic or epoxy. They’re generally not convincing to the untrained eye.
Doublet Opal
Doublets and Triplets are partially man-made stones that imitate black opals. Doublets and triplets consist of a slice of opal attached to a dark backing. In addition to being attached to a dark backing, triplets have a clear quartz or glass capping to magnify and protect the stone while giving it a rounded appearance.
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Photos: James St. John via Flickr, Pixabay, Biro Opal, Wikimedia Commons
Masterpiece Jewelry by Famous Artists
Some notable artists have a penchant for jewelry making in addition to their pursuit of masterpiece paintings and sculptures. Here's a glimpse at just two modern artists who also created fascinating jewelry.
Alexander Calder (1898-1976) was an American sculptor remembered for his introduction of mobile sculptures—sculptures that moved in response to touch or air currents. Calder’s work is generally categorized as surrealist or abstract. He also created wire figures and monumental sculptures, painted aircrafts and cars, and crafted jewelry!
Over the course of his career, Calder created over 2,000 pieces of jewelry. Many were gifts to his loved ones. Using brass, steel, ceramic, wood, and glass, Calder took inspiration from Africa, among other foreign locales, to create original and beautiful pieces.
Peggy Guggenheim, famous heiress and art collector, was one of the notable wearers of Calder’s jewelry. At the 1942 opening of her New York Gallery (The Art of This Century), she wore one earring by Calder and another by Yves Tanguy to symbolize her allegiance to both surreal and abstract art.
Alexander Calder Bracelet, circa 1930. Brass, silver, and still wire.
Georgia O'Keeffe, Teeny Duchamp (wife of Marcel Duchamp) Jeanne Rucar (wife of the filmmaker Luis Buñuel), and Bella Rosenfeld (wife of painter Marc Chagall) are other figures who enjoyed the gift of Calder’s jewelry.
Alexander Calder Earrings, circa 1940. Silver wire.
Fun fact: Calder first dabbled in jewelry at the age of eight. With copper wire he found in the street, he created jewelry for his sister’s dolls.
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) is undoubtedly a household name, and most of us know him for his cubist and surrealist paintings. But like Calder, Picasso was multi-talented and interested in a variety of media.
In the 1950s and 60s, Pablo collaborated with Jeweler François Hugo to create pieces in high-karat gold.
Le Grand Faune brooch of 23k gold, 20/20 edition François Hugo after Pablo Picasso, 1973.
Perhaps more interesting than Picasso's collaboration with Hugo is the recently-discovered, one-of-kind jewelry he made in the 1930s and 40s. In 1998, it was discovered that Picasso decorated a collection of brooches, rings, and amulets for his lover Dora Maar (their relationship lasted from 1936-1945).
The pieces were found in Maar’s apartment following her death and were later auctioned to bidders from across the globe. Jewelry expert Marc Blondeau recounts the discovery of the jewelry: “The jewelry was all over the place, under beds, in old shoeboxes. She kept it very zealously as a memento to Picasso.” This amazing find was news to even experts in modernist jewelry.
Ink and color pencil drawing by Picasso set in frame-shaped pendant for Dora Maar, circa 1936-1939.
Stone amulets by Picasso for Dora Maar, circa 1936-1939.
Fun fact: A zest for jewelry appears to run in the Picasso family. Paloma Picasso, Pablo’s daughter, has designed jewelry for Tiffany’s.
The fact that world-renowned modern artists have dabbled in jewelry just goes to show that jewelry, more than serve as mere trinkets, can truly be wearable art. What do you think?
You may also be interested in:
Photos: Wikimedia Commons, aleCalder Foundation, Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, The Jewelry Loupe
Where Does "Boho Style" Come From?
As we know it today, “boho” usually refers to free-spirited style details—like fringe, airy florals, flouncy skirts, and even some styles of Why Does Some Jewelry Turn Skin Green?
Although beautiful, copper (in pure and alloyed form) is often responsible for turning skin temporarily green.
You just bought a cute new ring, but you’re distressed to discover that it’s left an unsightly algae-colored stain on your finger! What gives? Although jewelry stains on your skin are certainly undesirable, there’s no need to fret. Stains from metal are fairly common and can happen with any quality of jewelry—although you may find that cheap jewelry is more likely to cause jewelry stains.
Why Does Jewelry Turn Skin Green?
A green stain does not mean that you’re allergic to metal. (If your jewelry causes your skin to itch, however, look into getting tested for a metal allergy.) Rather, the green stain is caused by a chemical reaction between the metal and the acids on your skin (or the acids in your lotion, soap, or body care products). Most often, this happens with copper—or metal alloyed with cooper, like rose gold, among many other copper alloys. The acids present on your skin cause the copper to corrode, creating copper salts, i.e. that blue-green business that looks less than lovely on your skin.
Copper isn’t the only culpable metal, however. Silver in sterling silver can sometimes leave a dark stain on your skin as the metal oxidizes. Fortunately, white gold, stainless steel, platinum, and rhodium-plated jewelry is generally immune from unpleasant stain issues.
How to Remove a Jewelry Stain from Skin
Green jewelry stains aren’t permanent and will likely go away within a day. To speed up the process, apply a little nail polish remover or makeup remover to skin, and wipe the stain away. You can also try exfoliating the area with a damp cloth.
How to Prevent Jewelry from Turning Skin Green
To minimize your jewelry’s exposure to corrosive acids, remove your jewelry before showering, applying lotion, handling cleaning fluids, or hopping the pool (chlorine is not friendly to jewelry!).
You can also take semi-permanent preventative measures by applying a coat of clear nail polish to the part of the jewelry that comes into contact with your skin. This creates a barrier between the acids on your skin and the metal. There is even a special jeweler’s version of clear polish designed especially for this purpose called Jeweler’s Skin Guard. Before applying, be sure to gently clean your jewelry and polish it with a jewelry polishing cloth. Since the clear polish will chip off over time, you’ll want to reapply it periodically.
Have you found any clever ways to prevent your jewelry from turning your skin green?
Photo: Alaridesign via Etsy
September Birthstone: The Rich History of the Sapphire
Cross-culturally, sapphires have been associated with insight, truth, heavenly grace, and even clairvoyance.
