About Jewelry Clasps

It is hard to specifically date a piece of jewelry by the clasp alone, unless it is marked in some way with a designer hallmark. The reason for this is that most of the clasps used on vintage jewelry are also used on modern pieces. Condition of the metal and other design techniques in the piece should be used in conjunction with a clasp to try and narrow down the date.

Vintage jewelry necklaces were made with many styles of clasps. Most notable were spring ring, hook clasp, box clasp, fold over clasp, and fish hook clasp. Others used, but not as commonly, were barrel clasp and toggle clasps. Lobster claw clasps were a later invention, so they are not found on vintage pieces, unless the clasp has been changed at some point.

My favorite type of vintage clasp is the box clasp. It came in a myriad of styles, often with beads, rhinestones or other embellishments which match the rest of the necklace. The were made with a small box which had a tab which was inserted into it. The design ideas are endless. Many box clasp were found on jewelry before 1950.

Spring ring clasps were commonly used. They came in two styles - one with a small tab to open the clasp and the other with just a small lip which can be swung back to create an opening. Spring ring clasps are still used today, but not as often. They have been mostly replaced with lobster claw clasps which are easier to open and close.

Hook clasps were often used on multi strand necklaces from the 1950s and 1960s. They were made of a  metal hook which either "grabs" a bead in a dangling strand, or hooks in to a metal chain. The latter

are still commonly used, but the former usually dates a piece as a vintage one. A fish hook clasp is made with a small hook which is inserted into a metal finding, often a pointed oval shape. Good vintage fish hook clasps were often sterling silver. Modern metal ones are lighter in weight and made from goldtone and silvertone metal.  

Fold over slaps were used for many vintage mass produced pieces. The underneath part of the clasp was a great place to put the designer hallmark. They were commonly used on necklaces and bracelets. On a bracelet, a fold over clasp was often used in conjunction with a safety chain to help prevent loss of the bracelet if the clasp open while the piece was being worn. This type of clasp was popular in the 1940s and is still used today.

Finally, barrel clasps and toggle clasp were used. These are often used today, so the metal condition is important to note when trying to date a piece with this type of clasp. Most older ones have developed a sort of brass like patina as they age. If you see shiny goldtone or silvertone barrel clasps or toggle clasps, the piece is likely to be a newer creation.

As with other findings and stones which make up a vintage piece, condition of the clasp is important when you decide whether to purchase the jewelry item. If the metal is worn, the value of the piece is diminished, although clasps are one of the easiest findings to replace.

Have fun checking out your necklaces and bracelets to see what type of clasp that your jewelry has!

Jewelry Periods

GEORGIAN PERIOD 1716-1860

EARLY VICTORIAN PERIOD 1837-1860

MID-VICTORIAN PERIOD 1860-1880

LATE VICTORIAN PERIOD 1880-1901

ART NOUVEAU PERIOD 1880-1914

ARTS AND CRAFTS PERIOD 1890-1914

EDWARDIAN PERIOD 1901-1910

ART DECO PERIOD 1920-1935

RETRO PERIOD (WAR YEARS) 1935-1945

MODERN PERIOD 1950s

Why Buy Vintage and Antique Jewelry

Fashion

Many seek out Vintage and Antique jewelry simply because they love to wear it. Vintage and Antique jewelry has a special unique glow and quality that is not found often in todays mass produced market. I find that the best part of wearing vintage or antique jewelry is that I can change the mood of an outfit just by choosing a piece of jewelry from another era.

Vintage and Antique Jewelry styles have ruled the runways of Milan, Paris, London and New York since last fall and are making an appearance again this spring. Fashion costume jewelry is decidedly vintage or vintage/antique inspired. Bold Victorian, Art Deco and Retro Modern style bracelets, necklaces, pins, brooches and rings from the 30’s to 60’s are being worn by runway models as well as by our stars in Hollywood. Did you see the Grammy awards? Lots of vintage bling! The best part is that you don’t have to know a fashion designer, New York model or Hollywood starlet to get the in vogue vintage jewelry that is extremely hot today.

Gifts

Giving a piece of vintage costume or antique jewelry is fabulous way to show someone you care. The recipient can’t help but feel special knowing that you took the time to seek out something so beautiful and unique, rather than something mass produced and sold at the nearest department store or even jeweller. Birthdays, Anniversaries, Weddings, and Graduations are just a few of the perfect occasions to give vintage costume or antique jewelry as a gift.

Collecting

Collecting vintage costume and antique jewelry has provided many a hobbyist with hours of enjoyment. Whether you’re collecting for fun or for serious investment, there always seems to be one more piece that you have to have. Finding that one piece is what keeps a collector on the “hunt”. Discovering a special piece for your collection is always an exhilarating experience.  Identifying, dating, grouping and learning are also all part of the fun. The best part of collecting vintage costume and antique jewelry is that you get to wear it and take your collection with you wherever you go.

Clean Verdigris From Vintage Costume Jewelry

Verdigris is similar to a disease, and is common to many costume jewelry metals, resulting in a green build-up that causes severe corrosion of if not caught in time. The color can range from dark green to bluish green. It can spread from one infected piece to your good pieces if they are stored together. When you buy jewelry, examine it carefully under magnification, especially where chains knot together, near clasps, inside clasps, underneath clips and near the openings of pearls or beads attached by metal chainage. Brass and copper are notorious but can be cleaned easily, especially if they are unfinished.


The best way to clean verdigris is by soaking the piece in white vinegar for 15-30 minutes and then wipe the metal. Use a Q-tip to get into nooks & crannies. If it doesn't wipe off, scrub the metal with a soft to medium toothbrush. If the verdigris is severe, the finish may have become corroded. But its better for your jewels to have small bare places in the finish than to have ever-growing areas of verdigris.

Please don't use ketchup-- it's messy, can stain hideously, and doesn't work as well as vinegar.

With some jewels, getting rid of verdigris can be a time consuming problem. If metal with the greenish growth is near or inside the entrance of beads or faux pearls, you must be very careful of damaging the bead finishes, paint, or enamel. Toothpicks are useful for scraping off the verdigris near individual beads.

Certain gemstones, sterling silver or silver plated pieces should not be soaked in vinegar. If in doubt, ask your jeweler. Sterling doesn't catch verdigris, but other metals used with sterling jewelry do. Foil-backed rhinestone jewelry is another problem, since foiled rhinestones shouldn't be soaked in any liquid. If the verdigris is only on the back of the piece, you may be able to use the following method: fold one or two absorbent paper towels into a ceramic (not silver) dinner or serving dish. Pour in vinegar, so the paper towel is soaked but not swimming. Lay the piece on the towel and leave for at least an hour or two. You may have to check back, wipe and add more vinegar as it dries. Another method is to dab small pellets of cotton with vinegar and lay them over effected areas. Then wipe or scrub with toothbrush as necessary.

Moisture from perspiration or humidity attracts verdigris, so make sure jewelry is dry and stored in a dry, dust free environment, such as a good jewelry box. Always leave jewelry you've just worn next to the skin, or freshly cleaned jewelry to dry on paper towels for a day or so, to make sure it is thoroughly dry before storage.

Be careful of buying jewelry mixed together in a box lot, or jumbled together in a single box at an auction or thrift store. Inspect each piece carefully to sort out any with verdigris. It may be wise to wipe the unaffected pieces with paper towel sprayed with vinegar/water solution.

You may have to be persistent in some cases, but success is worth it! Enjoy your sparkling, verdigris-free jewels now and in years to come.

Why Collect Unsigned Vintage Costume Jewelry?

1. The vast majority of vintage, and especially antique (pre-1930) costume jewelry is unsigned. You will miss way too many highly collectible items. Many unsigned pieces are just as beautiful, well-made and durable as signed jewelry, and they are far less expensive. It's good to learn inexpensively when you start collecting.

2. Many wonderful designer jewelry firms failed to sign their jewelry during different periods or different circumstances. For instance, much early Miriam Haskell jewelry is unsigned.In fact, many designers never signed their earliest pieces.

Eisenberg failed to sign some of their jewelry between 1950 and 1975. You can ID some of the jewels they made through this period through vintage ads. Be sure to go to antique fairs to look at and hold real Eisenberg jewelry. Then you will understand how it is made and what the backs look like (many online dealers show images of backs) so you don't end up with a cheap knockoff, or worse yet, fake Eisenberg.

Weiss left many of their jewels unsigned. These were wholesaled to department stores like Sears and J.C. Penny's, who would put the jewelry in their own gift boxes. One of the most fun jewelry collecting categories would be unsigned Weiss. Buy jewelry books and look at photos of signed Weiss jewels. Then try to find them in the field unsigned. Most dealers don't mark up Weiss jewelry if it is unsigned, and you can find it all over flea markets, thrift stores & auctions. With so much fake Weiss on the market, its more fun to find an unsigned Weiss than to turn over the back of the jewelry you ordered online and find it's fake!

Anyhow, these are my main reasons for collecting unsigned vintage & antique costume jewelry.

How to clean Rhinestone Jewelry

 1. The number one rule: Never, oh never, immerse your rhinestone jewelry in any kind of liquid. Water ruins the thin foil lining the back of the stone, sometimes almost immediately for older rhinestones, and eventually even new stones will turn dark, or develop black edges. A very sweet look in truly antique jewelry, but otherwise--yuck! It's NO FUN to try to replace rhinestones. Some contend that water doesn't ruin foil, but admit that if the foil is already degraded; water will ruin it. Foil does degrade, but why hurry the process?

2. One way to keep rhinestones shining in between cleanings is to simply spray a little bit of soft water or window cleaner on a paper towel to barely dampen. And then just buff the piece of jewelry briefly. This will really bring out the sparkles.

3. Always use spray-on products such such as hairspray or cologne before you don the jewels. These products will do damage ranging from gumming up the glitering beauties to removing Aurora Borealis Coating.

4. 409 is unpredictable. If you're going to do a 409 test for bakelite on rhinestone jewelry, be very careful none of the 409 makes contact with the rhinestones.

5. Keep your rhinestone jewelry in a jewelbox, or in some other place far away from dust, which damages stones, plating, and gets in nooks and crannies making it difficult to clean.

6. If you care for your rhinestones properly by taking the above simple steps, you won't have to deep clean the jewelry often, perhaps never.

7. But if and when you do need to clean rhinestones, I have found the following simple procedure to be best:

a. Fill a large bowl with cold or lukewarm water. Add 1-2 drops of clear dishwashing liquid (NOT DISHWASHER) such as Dawn, Palmolive, or even the generic brand if it is clear. After adding the 1-2 drops, stir the water slightly. It shouldn't be bubbly.

b. Moisten a soft brush, like a old soft toothbrush, or a baby brush, then shake it out and even dry it a little so it is damp only, because you don't want the jewelry to get wet. Brush the jewelry gently, concentrating on the nooks and crannies where dust accumulates. Be careful of old finishes and plating. When you are through, buff dry. There is no need to rinse, of course. You can use a Q-tip to poke & wipe hard-to-get into areas. Don't force anything into open areas; some jewelry is delicate and it's very easy to bend a prong or part of a fitting, even with a Q-tip.

8. Enjoy your sparkling clean, shining jewels!

FREE SHIPPING

If you mention my blog page I will give you FREE SHIPPING on any jewelry items of your choice!  Just contact me through my Vintage Daintys shop to let me know!

Thanks again for visiting and have fun!
Helen