Do you have vintage costume jewelry and suffer from the problem of green verdigris? Do you want to get rid of this verdigris and remove it from your costume jewelry but do not know how to do that? It is really frustrating to find that the vintage costume jewelry that you have loses its catchy beauty because it is covered in verdigris which is commonly known as green gunk. This bothering substance which is green in its color is caused by exposing your jewelry to different contaminants, moisture and even your make-up. Verdigris is not quickly formed and it needs years to cover your costume jewelry that you store. Verdigris is like infection as it can easily cover other pieces of jewelry that are stored with the pieces which are already covered in verdigris to find that all of your costume jewelry are turned into the green color. There are several methods that you can use for solving the problem of your costume jewelry and retrieving its unique beauty. Here, we show you how to clean the green gunk from your costume jewelry to be able to use it again.
1. Use a toothpick: There is some verdigris which can be easily removed and does not require exerting a huge effort. For the small amount of verdigris that covers small spots of your jewelry, you can use a toothpick for removing it and cleaning your jewelry.
2. Try a toothbrush or pencil eraser: If using a toothpick does not work for you because the amount of verdigris is large, then try using a pencil eraser or dry toothbrush for brushing the spots which are covered in verdigris.
3. Apply metal polish: Before using any metal polish, you first have to clean your jewelry through using a dry toothbrush trying to remove as much verdigris as possible. After brushing, bring a clean and soft cloth and put some metal polish on it to rub your jewelry for about 30 seconds. After finishing, use another clean cloth for polishing your jewelry.
4. Soak in vinegar: If you failed to remove the verdigris from your jewelry through following the previous ways, then you can try another way which is resorting to your home treatments. Put some white vinegar in a cup or any other deep container and soak your jewelry that is covered in verdigris for about 20 minutes, brush the jewelry with a toothbrush, rinse it thoroughly and finally dry it with a soft and clean cloth.
5. Acidic solution: If you find it difficult to use vinegar because it does not stay at its place when you put it on the verdigris, then you can try ketchup. Ketchup is also acidic and can help you to remove verdigris after covering it for about 30 minutes. Rinse your jewelry thoroughly and dry it using a clean soft cloth. Make sure that the ketchup is not placed on the stones in your jewelry to protect them from any damage.
Warning: Do not use vinegar and ketchup with specific types of jewelry such as those pieces which are encrusted with rhinestones that have foil backings, fake pearls, glued in rhinestones and pearls in order not to cause damage to these stones. In order to protect your stones and clean your jewelry at the same time, you can bring a paper towel or cotton ball that is soaked in white vinegar and put it on the verdigris only without touching the stones.
Note: In order to avoid the problem of verdigris that covers your jewelry, clean your jewelry pieces before storing them and try to check them from time to time for any verdigris. The earlier you discover the verdigris in your jewelry, the easier it will be removed.
Trick: There is a nice trick for avoiding verdigris and this trick is coating your costume jewelry with fingernail polish to avoid the interaction with your skin and sweat.
You have to know that this verdigris can be found on the jewelry which is made of inexpensive metals only and cannot be found on other precious metals such as silver and gold