How to Care for Your Vintage Rings

The vintage rings you buy are a valuable investment. It is important to care for your collection or even your one special purchase very carefully.

The first thing you should do if you own or plan to own several vintage rings or if you plan to collect vintage jewelry, is keep a very detailed inventory of your collection. Take several photos of each piece when you acquire it, especially of the front and back, if there are defining marks, hallmarks or copyrights on the pieces. Add a written description to your inventory as well. Should a piece ever be lost or stolen, all of these details may help to recover your piece.

If you wear your vintage rings or other jewelry on a regular basis, be sure to check often for wear and tear. Remember these pieces are old, and have already suffered the effects of time. Keep a close eye on clasps, links and settings, and if you feel there is excess wear, be sure to get the piece repaired or retire it.

If you do decide to get a piece repaired, it is wise to find a jeweler who has had experience with vintage rings and vintage jewelry. Make certain they are someone you trust to take good care of, and offer quality work on, your valuable pieces.

You may also want to consider purchasing a jeweler’s loupe for your own use. This is like a magnifying glass that jewelers use to inspect jewelry very closely during valuations. Having one yourself would prove most handy for inspecting your jewelry for wear. The last thing you want is for a clasp to break or a stone to come out of a setting causing you to lose a piece you love.

Be careful too, when storing your vintage rings or other jewelry. Always store pieces separately with a lint free cloth or tissue between the pieces, as undue wear can be caused if the pieces rub together.

As the old saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. This most definitely applies to the care and safekeeping of your vintage rings and other pieces of vintage jewelry!