In all fairness, no one intentionally sets out to ruin his or her vintage jewelry. On the other hand, numerous people engage in faulty practices when caring for their antiques and collectibles every day, simply because they don’t know how to maintain them. Following are some of the blunders you can avoid committing when caring for your jewelry, mistakes that you will surely live to regret, particularly if you intend to sell the pieces sometime in the future.

1. Inappropriate cleaning

Without denying that cleaning some pieces will make them more valuable and desirable, this is not always the case. For instance, if you decide to scrub off the patina from a hard to find Tiffany antique silver ring, not only will you greatly diminish its value, but chances are you will render the jewelry un-saleable. Before you do anything, it is wise to do some research and find out how cleaning impacts the value of the jewelry. Alternatively, ask for advice from your antiques dealer or an expert collector.

2. Amateur restoration

Restoring a necklace or a ring you received from an aunt who has recently passed away seems like a good idea, and sometimes it is. However, the do-it-yourself approach with harsh chemical solutions and improper tools is almost always going to backfire. Even if your task entails gluing in a rhinestone that popped out of a vintage brooch, and despite the fact that you are using the GS Hypo Cement for this project, you might end up making things worse, if you don’t know what you’re doing.

3. Leaving the antique jewelry in the sunlight

The one thing early plastics, old paper and antique jewelry have in common is that they are all susceptible to damage from exposure to direct sunlight. By leaving vintage costume jewelry or any other fragile piece in an area that is under direct sunlight, you will end up with items that you will no longer be proud to own and pass down to your grandchildren. If you must display your collection in a sunny room, then make sure it is only for a short interval. Ideally, you should always showcase your amazing collection in a room with dim light.

4. Inadequate storage

The best place to store your collectibles is a room where you have complete control over the natural lighting, temperatures and humidity levels. Then again, transforming your home – or a room – into a museum-like environment for your jewelry is not always feasible. In the event that you can’t allocate a certain area for your antiques, then the least you can do is keep them out of rooms prone to dampness and high temperatures, like the basement or the attic.

5. Refinishing

In case you own a rate antique piece of jewelry, then removing the original finish can have disastrous results. While some pieces are sturdy and can take a gentle cleaning from time to time, this task is best left in the hands of professionals. What might seem like plain old grime to you could in fact be a desirable patina.