When loved ones pass away, it is common for them to leave some of their family members’ items passed on from generation to generation. These items are often called family heirlooms. Others aren’t as lucky and often look at purchasing antiques so they can pass them down to the next generation. Due to these items being passed down, it is only natural that some items may not have been cleaned or looked after the best they could. Others are in pristine condition and are only used on special occasions. Many years of wear and tear resulting in a piece of jewellery not being able to be worn anymore. To save your treasured family heirlooms from wear and tear, there is a range of ways that you can upcycle your family heirlooms, this is what we are going to go through in this article.
Have The Gemstones Reset
Often gemstones can be worth more than the setting they are in which encourages more people to upcycle them. Vintage jewellery is not often maintained which results in your family heirlooms being tarnished through time. This can often cause the settings to become loose which is not great if you have a large gemstone that could easily fall off.
With the number of family heirlooms and antiques around the world, it isn’t surprising that there are professionals out there that offer a clean and repair service. Some pieces are also often irreparable so it is also possible to remove the gemstones and have them set into something new that you are more inclined to wear or something that you can pass down to your younger generations.
Have Your Family Heirlooms Professionally Cleaned
If you have jewellery such as a vintage sapphire engagement ring and it’s looking like it has seen better days or it has lost its shine, it is a good idea to go and get your piece professionally cleaned. If you have a piece where the setting is strong and it is in overall good condition, having it professionally cleaned is a great way to keep the piece in good condition so you can keep it passing down to generations.
Although you can clean the pieces yourself, when it comes to vintage or antique pieces, it is best to get them professionally cleaned as there is a range of benefits. Firstly, a professional cleaner will have the exact solutions, and equipment to clean it thoroughly from the harder areas. They will also know exactly the right methods for cleaning the piece too. Another benefit is that if you have a piece that is irreplaceable, you will want someone to know what they are doing to clean that piece. When you get a professional, they will also be able to tell you whether the piece has some issues that will need repairing at some point.
Repurpose Old Pieces For Something New
There are many types of family heirlooms and not all are pieces of jewellery so it takes some thinking out of the box. If you have a piece that is not as precious, you could opt to make a wall display or piece of art. If this is not your thing, you could opt at making something more personal to you.