Spring is finally here, and that means many of us are elbows-deep in our annual spring cleaning frenzies.  It’s that time of year when we also look at freshening up our spring-summer wardrobes, and that should include your jewelry collection.  Whether it’s a simple cleaning of your jewelry itself, or a “deep clean” of your whole jewelry box, sorting through and, perhaps, parting with a few items to justify something new, it’s time to bring that sparkle back, and even make the old new again by repurposing unused jewelry pieces into a fresh, new custom design.

Keep Your Jewelry Looking Like New!

Spring Jewelry Cleaning and Inspection

Did you know that it’s recommended to have your jewelry cleaned and inspected at least once a year?  And twice a year is better.  While “home cleaning” of your jewelry is fine to keep it looking good in between professional cleanings, a professional jewelry cleaning is necessary to really get into all those tiny niches as well as to bring out the true shine and sparkle of diamonds and gemstones.  In addition, your jeweler will thoroughly inspect the piece to ensure there are no weak spots or other concerns that may need repair to prevent further wear or loss of a stone.

Making the Old New again

We all have at least a few pieces of jewelry in our collection that simply aren’t worn very often, or ever.  So, what’s the point of keeping them, hidden away from the world in a jewelry box?  Instead, turn that old jewelry into cash or – even better – a brand new custom designed piece crafted from the repurposed materials of your old or unworn jewelry.

If your goal is simply to clear out some clutter, then you might just sell it.  You can bring your old or unworn jewelry into just about any jeweler, who will appraise the piece’s value and often offer cash for jewelry on the spot.

If, on the other hand, the jewelry in question has any particular sentimental value, or if you just want to get creative and add a truly unique piece of jewelry to your collection, then you might consider repurposing that old, unworn jewelry into a brand new, custom designed piece.  The piece itself might simply be reworked to incorporate new stones, etc., or you might choose to have the precious metals melted down and create a new design from scratch.  Your jeweler can guide you through the custom jewelry design process to repurpose that neglected jewelry into something fresh and spectacular that you’ll want to wear every day.

Picnics and trips to the beach call for plastic flatware and paper plates. But what about that darling little garden party you’ve been meaning to throw? You could go plastic, or you could class things up by bringing out the silver to shine in the summer sun.

Uh oh. Did you unpack the silver and find that it’s tarnished? That happens when silver sits unused. It’s actually better for silver to be used frequently than packed away. The more you use your silver, the less you’ll need to polish it.

Is your family heirloom teapot dented and tarnished? Amidon can help!

If your silver is in bad shape, Amidon can help. We offer a silver restoration service. We can solder, remove dents, machine refinish and replate your silver flatware, silver teapots and other silver treasures. Drop a spoon down the garbage disposal? No problem. We can fix that, too. Amidon offers a 25-year warranty on replating services.

Here's the same teapot, beautifully restored by Amidon.

If your silver flatware just needs a little TLC, here are some suggestions for extending its full, shiny, glorious lifespan.

• After every use, hand wash (not in the dishwasher!) your silver flatware in warm water and gentle dish soap. This removes food residues whose acid can erode silver. For example, don’t let your silver forks sit in tomato sauce overnight. Avoid corrosive liquids, including soaps with a citrus base.

• Before putting away your silver, dry it completely.

• Buy specially made flatware storage bags or cases. These prevent the scratches that inevitably occur if you toss your flatware pell mell into a drawer.

• Polish your silver from time to time. If you use your flatware frequently, you’ll only need to polish it every few years. Less-used silver requires more polishing.

• Use special silver polishing cream. Follow the instructions on the label.

• Only polish clean silver.

• Give the tarnished areas extra attention.

• After polishing, rinse each piece of flatware with warm water until it’s completely clean.

• Dry your flatware before returning to its storage case or bag.

If you throw a garden party, the hostess should wear something beautiful, such as this blue diamond and 14K white gold necklace by Amidon.