Miriam Haskell Dress Clip Clean Up… Yikes

This gorgeous dress clip by the famous designer Miriam Haskell was covered in verdigris, a green layer of corrosion that appears on brass, copper and bronze metals due to aging and or weather. Verdigris on vintage jewelry can not only significantly lower the value of your jewelry but it can also compromise the integrity of the metal as the corrosion is actually eating away at it!! Not to mention it is just unsightly. It just broke my heart to see such a beautiful piece in this condition and I set out to fix it. Cleaning verdigris off of an item is something that you want to approach cautiously; start with the least invasive means possible. First, consider the material, are there rhinestones? Rhinestones are often foil backed and CANNOT get wet as the moisture will damage the foil and all the sparkle will be gone from your rhinestone. Are there faux pearls? The finish on faux pearls can be damaged easily. Next decide how you can remove the verdigris without causing any damage to the jewelry. Can you scrape if off with your fingernail? Can you remove it with a toothbrush? Fine steel wool? If none of these work and there are no rhinestones or faux pearls, or other materials that could be damaged (do your homework), you can consider using vinegar, some people say ketchup works but, for jewelry I find that it is just too messy and I do not like the smell of ketchup :). I have successfully used white vinegar and apple cider vinegar. Try soaking your item for up to 15 minutes checking on it every 2 minutes, do not leave it longer than is necessary. Rinse with water, some people like to dip it in a baking soda/water solution to neutralize the affect of the vinegar.

tI tried everything with this piece (hesitantly) and finally ended up soaking it in apple cider vinegar, even though it has faux pearls. I was very nervous and wondered if I was making a huge mistake :0, but the piece had very little value in it’s present condition anyway so I just went for it. I watched it constantly, with a magnifying glass even! As soon as the last bit of verdigris was gone I pulled it out. It worked beautifully…. This was a success story but, I try this hesitantly every time, unless the item is just brass and nothing else!