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Thrifting Jewelry

Posted by thrifthabit on

I LOVE LOVE LOVE beaded and costume jewelry.  I can’t think of anything that makes an outfit better than a tasteful necklace or statement piece.

Occasionally I’ll splurge and pop into an antique store to find something particularly wow, but mostly, I can’t see paying retail prices for glass or plastic.  Especially if you’re searching for something trendier.

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After some cleaning and bobby pins, this $2 Goodwill find was the perfect accent for my holiday hair!

Where to Start

Start your jewelry seeking excursion by bee-lining to the specialty counter at your favorite thrift store.  Specialty counter?  Yes, it’s more of a specialty counter than jewelry section because thrift stores will group any high-end items in the cases–think Sam’s Club with the purses and perfume next to the watches.  I don’t recommend buying any leather designer purses you may stumble upon here unless you’re a pro at spotting fakes.

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Trendy necklaces are a steal at thrift stores!

You’ll usually have to wait for attendant to arrive to open the cases for you to browse.  Do them a favor and have your decisions pretty solidified before they arrive; unless you head out on the random weeknight these crews are usually pretty busy.  After you’ve made your selection, many thrift stores will transport your choices directly to the check-out.

What to Find

So, what you should you be seeking?  I personally love any old beads I can find.  Bonus round–any necklace with a lobster clasp and links can adorn your wrist in minutes.  When purchasing strands of beads give it a gentle tug and run along your fingers to check for fraying in the internal string.  Stay clear of anything broken (why waste the time?) or any metallic with the finish wearing off (um green skin is a no no).

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Any necklace with chain and a lobster clasp can become a unique bracelet in minutes!

Cleaning Second-Hand Jewelry

As with any thrift, step 1 after purchasing is cleaning.  Metal pieces can be cleaned with a mixture of 1 cup warm water and 1/2 cup ammonia.  Rubbing alcohol is great for glass, and a squirt of Dawn dish soap in warm water will scrub your plastic beads perfectly.  Lay all pieces on a towel to dry.

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Clean plastic beads with Dawn dish soap and warm water.

Get out there and find something beautiful this week!  If you have any questions on how to clean your purchases, leave it in the comments below.

 

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