How to Refurbish Vintage Jewelry

There are many ways to refurbish vintage jewelry and turn old, worn or broken items into great looking new pieces that look fashionable and are fun to wear. Giving new life to old jewelry is a way to use your imagination and creativity while creating unusual and original jewelry pieces. Read on to learn how to refurbish vintage jewelry.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Vintage jewelry
• Jewelry findings
• Memory wire
• Jewelry tools for your project

1. Think of creative ways to give your vintage jewelry new life. There are many books full of great ideas such as "Flea Market Jewelry: New Styles From Old Treasures" by Binky Morgan and "Vintage Style Beaded Jewelry" by Deborah Schneebeli-Morrell, both available at Amazon. See Resource section for links.

2. Purchase any necessary equipment, such as jewelry findings, wire, a jeweler's drill and saw from Fire Mountain Gems. See Resources for link.

3. Search yard sales, flea markets and thrift stores for vintage jewelry at affordable prices. Look for boxes of broken jewelry and single earnings.

4. Make fabulous pendants from single earrings or vintage brooches and pins.

5. Cut pieces from vintage jewelry to make stylish earrings or pendants.

6. Use old earrings to make an updated lariat necklace, with each earring at the termination, or end, point of the chain. Check out the Metal Chik website to get ideas for revamping vintage jewelry. See Resource section for link.

Tips & Warnings

• They also call refurbishing jewelry revamping, repurposing and remaking.
• Always check the jewelry piece for identifying marks, such as maker and karat. If you think the piece is valuable, don't disassemble it for remaking.

Resources

• Go here for ideas and instructions on refurbishing old jewelry.
• Visit this site for ideas on how to use vintage beads.
• Visit here to see a lariat necklace made from vintage earrings.