How to clean earrings

There are now two guides on Jewels and Finery on cleaning vintage jewellery. The latest is specific to cleaning earrings. Cleaning Vintage Earrings

Vintage, antique and second hand pre owned earrings have in the past been worn by someone else that we sell. They have to be cleaned hygienically - that means all clip on, screw backs and pierced types.  The guide tells you how to do this.

This guide can be used for cleaning your own earrings that you have worn from new - they do need a bit of TLC once in a while. I am also now wary about new earrings as once watched in amazement at a young woman go through a rack of new earrings in a supermarket and try them all on. She put them back on the cards afterwards for the next buyer eeewww !!
So now unless I buy new earrings that are sealed packaged or firmly sellotaped onto a card - they get cleaned before use.

The photographs today are of different clips findings and mechanisms used in jewellery making.     

 Vintage clip mechanisms in gold tone metal on a plastic button earring.

Vintage earrings with both clip and screw back mechanisms.

Earring posts with backs or clutches

A finding used for pierced ears that fastens so they can not fall out.

Screw back earring findings that are similar in use to a clip on ones.

A hook or shepherd hook style finding/fastening on earrings - these are the easiest to replace if you so wish.

Earrings with all plastic backs - these are clip ones above, but they can also be for pierced ears (first photograph on this blog).