Cleaning Up Vintage Jewellery Finds

   I'm always on the look out for vintage costume jewellery. I am very mean with how much I will pay for an item. What I really like finding is a box of dirty neglected jewellery that needs cleaning up and sorting through. Luckily twice in the last few months I have found this. One was at a recent jumble sale. I found a little opticians box from the 1920s with dirty bits of jewellery in. I never even bother studying jewellery at jumble sales I just say how much and pay it, I don't think I have ever spent more than £2 for a box full and if you put it down for a second someone else will have it! In this opticians box was a few pretty brooches and a 1950s necklace with matching clip on earrings. I have already cleaned up and sold the 1950s necklace and earrings for a very nice profit but the other item that really caught my eye was this bracelet. It was so dirty you couldn't even see the colour of the stones. I washed it in ordinary washing up liquid with a soft brush and was thrilled to find this lovely old bracelet under the dirt. I don't know what the stones are but I am definitely keeping this, I love it.

  The other little lot was at a car boot sale. There were three items in a little bag. I asked the old man who was selling them how much and he told me he had no idea really of the value of them. He said he did a house clearance where the old lady had died and these were in her dressing table drawer. You can have them for 50p each. Despite feeling so sad for the old lady I was very pleased with my buys, One was a little string of pearls with a lovely diamante detail. My youngest daughter loved it so much when I took it home I gave it to her. She wears them all the time when she is out out in her vintage clothes. The other two items were this pretty little necklace with tiny mother of pearl birds. I'm sure this is very old. Perfect for me as I'm always on the look out for unique jewellery and I love birds!

  The third item was these enamel earrings. I thought they had an art nouveau look to them. I couldn't be more pleased with my thrifty finds and I really hope the old lady would be pleased that her items are being loved and used again.

  A quick add on Sammy the cockatiel still can't fly and is very wobbly on her legs but she rather annoyingly whistled along loudly to Frank Sinatra last night whilst we were watching him on the TV so she must be feeling quite bright despite it all!