Treasure Hunts

It’s Monday again and I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I can’t wait to kick off this week with some great tips when it comes to finding, maintaining and displaying little vintage treasures.

 Where to look: My favorite places to hunt, (Besides my grandmothers jewelry box) are at the thrift stores, antique stores, garage sales, flea markets, the swap meet, and occasionally even at craft fairs. I collect jewelry, buttons, cosmetic cases, pill boxes, and anything that really catches my eye.

I truly live by the saying, “one man’s junk is another man’s treasure”. With that being said, it’s important to keep an open mind in your search for those great finds. You never know what you might come across, or where you might find something. And above all, don’t be afraid of broken jewelry!!

When it comes to broken pieces you can always recycle. Take rhinestones from one piece to replace them in another to make it like new again. Broken buttons make excellent centers on flowers when crafting. You can even recycle old chains and clasps.

The best thing to look for if you’re investing a little more money in some of those special pieces is to firstly check that all the jewels are there. And secondly, that they are all pronged. You can tell if a piece is high quality if each and every jewel has 4 prongs holding them in place. Pieces like this will last for years and years.

If there are no prongs, it means that the gems are most likely glued in place, and unfortunately won’t last a life time. So it is probably a good idea to invest in a good gem glue, just in case future repairs are in order. The most imprtant thing to remember, is to look for pieces that speak to you. There is no right or wrong when it comes to things that inspire. Inspiration is unique to the individual.

Another thing to remember is that it takes time to build a collection. It takes time and patience. I was lucky enough to have two grandmothers who loved their diamonds and pearls. One of them is an antique dealer and growing up she and I always enjoyed going and finding special pieces together. It’s taken me over 10 years to accumulate the collection I have, so be patient!
One more thing: I also love antique cups and saucers for displaying my findings. I have found pieces for as little as fifty cents to a dollar at the thrift store. Old hat boxes are also fun to keep your treasures in. Keep in mind that everything looks nicer once it’s brought home, and cleaned up with a little TLC!

Here’s a link to some at home remedies for cleaning you’re metal pieces. I’ve tried the baking soda one and it worked pretty well.

http://www.rd.com/home/cleaning-organizing/12-home-products-for-cleaning-jewelry/

Happy hunting!

Until next Monday :)