A great resource out there for anyone who collects old rhinestone jewelry are on line stores on line auctions, in  particular eBay.

Here I will focus on the almost limitless variety on the largest of all the online auction houses, which is of course,  eBay.

You will find hundreds of thousands of listings for jewelry and it is an extremely profitable product both for individuals who sell and for  people who want to buy. The prices can be surprisingly low because some retailers begin their particular auctions at below $1.00, if you happen to be lucky enough to bid on these low starting price auctions, you can frequently be fortunate enough to end up getting a genuine  bargain.

If you are unfamiliar with shopping on eBay, go to eBay.com and simply click on the help column on the right side, then "help  topics" for excellent guidance and info.

You can browse, the Internet version of window shopping, whenever the time suits you. If you're looking for antique jewelry,  and you enter "antique jewelry" in the search box, you will see that there are thousands of listings.

You can narrow the search down simply by entering the exact item you are looking for.

It is possible to narrow it down even further if you're interested in a specific designer, such as Sarah Coventry, Kramer or  Trifari.

Scroll through the selections and see what exactly is out there, and what the prices are. If you wish to bid on or buy an item, eBay  will take you step-by-step through the procedure.

Do take care when you are putting in a bid on auction web sites, eBay tries very hard to help keep retailers honest. The process of buying online is actually  very much the same as buying in the stores, be sure you know EXACTLY what you are bidding for,if you're interested in a  specific product, read the seller's feedback rating, and look at the feedback remarks.

It is possible to ask the vendor a question concerning the product, and be sure to read the seller's refund policy.

Some don't accept returns in case you are not satisfied with the product, but most do.

Because you might be purchasing an item of rhinestone jewelry without personally examining it, you need to be sure you're receiving what  you are looking for.

Inform yourself about the jewelry you are keen on. Go through rhinestone jewellery guides, Internet articles or blog posts, and of course, check  back on this site for more info on antique rhinestone jewellery and antique rhinestone pins and brooches.

A typical problem with vintage rhinestone jewellery could be that the stones might have began to look a little yellowy. This is simply not the rock crystal aging but is in fact the epoxy that bonds the crystal onto the backing that's getting older and getting hard.

The stone might suffer a loss of its sparkle because of oxidation after exposure to natural light, air and pollution for a period of time however generally the cleaning procedure is simple and inexpensive and you can do the cleaning by yourself at home.

You will discover numerous varying ideas on the best way to clean vintage rhinestone jewellery, however, the foil backing on the crystal may be the issue that will cause the most difficulties.

The safest ways to clean retro rhinestone bracelets is to spray it with compressed air in order to remove any up the dirt and then wipe it down using a gentle, lint-free rag and make use of a cotton bud dipped in surgical spirit to clean up the tiny crevices.

Some people just use water and soap and brush the stone with a toothbrush to clean it however in this way, you risk getting the metal foil wet which could turn the color black.

After you have done the cleaning process, wipe the rhinestone dry using a clean dry cloth or use a hair dryer on low heat or even cool air setting to be able to speed up the drying process.

If you notice that the stone has started to be yellowish at the bottom, it may be as a result of oxidation of the epoxy holding the stone and the metal foil.  In which case, the problem is below the stone and it may not be possible for you to clean it without removing the stone.

If this occurs, so that you don't chance further damage, you may have to send the rhinestone jewellery to an expert for cleaning.

A typical problem with antique rhinestone jewellery is that the stones sometimes have started to appear a bit yellowy. This is simply not the rock crystal aging but is generally the epoxy that bonds the crystal onto the backing that's getting older and getting hard.

The stone may lose its sparkle because of oxidation after exposure to sunlight, air and pollution for a period of time however in most cases the cleaning procedure is easy and cheap and you'll be able to do the clean-up yourself at home.

You will find numerous various opinions on the best method to clean antique rhinestone jewellery, however, the foil backing on the crystal could be the thing that brings about the most complications.

The safest method to clean retro rhinestone jewelry would be to spray it with compressed air to release up the dirt then wipe it down using a soft, lint-free rag and use a cotton bud dipped in surgical spirit to clean the tiny crevices.

Some people merely use water and soap and brush the stone using a toothbrush to clean it but by doing this, you chance getting the metal foil damp which could turn the color black.

After you have finished the cleaning procedure, wipe the rhinestone dry using a fresh dry cloth or make use of a hair dryer on low heat or even cool air setting to speed up the drying process.

If you see that the stone has started to be yellowish at the bottom, it may be as a result of oxidation of the glue holding the stone and the metal foil.  In which case, the problem is below the stone and it might not be feasible for you to clean it without removing the stone.

If this occurs, so that you don't chance additional damage, you may have to send the rhinestone jewelry to an expert for cleaning.

Since the 1940’s rhinestone jewelry has been a popular fashion statement. From famous movie stars to suburban ladies the interest in what's now categorised as vintage or antique rhinestone jewellery has remained strong.

When you might be thinking of starting a collection of antique rhinestone jewellery,you need to be conscious of precisely just what to look for, what to avoid and the types of  vintage rhinestone jewelry that is desired and for that reason worth getting involved in collecting.

Retro rhinestone jewellery is a good alternative to much more highly-priced gemstones for the ultra modern women of all ages.

Do you know that rhinestone is made  from rock crystal? Many people incorrectly think of rhinestone as low-cost colored glass however it is actually a crystal that  comes from the quartz rock family.

Almost all of the settings for antique rhinestone jewelry are made from metals that have gold or silver colored base metals.

They are not set into gold, silver or platinum and because of this , they are placed into the costume jewellery category.

Several of the best places to look for retro rhinestone jewelry are:

Flea Markets

Personal Sales

Thrift Shops

Garage sales or Backyard sales

Needless to say, the largest yard sale of all is eBay and you'll find Great amounts of rhinestone pins, rhinestone costume jewellery, rhinestone brooches, rhinestone necklaces, retro rhinestone jewelry, rhinestone costume jewelry, rhinestone jewelry sets, the truth is, you name it and you will find it on eBay.

Collectable brand names of vintage rhinestone jewellery are, Kramer, Napier, Sarah Coventry and of course Trifari.

Vintage Trifari jewellery is a great option for beginning collectors because it is really well made and it is currently really reasonably priced.

You would have to pay anything from about $30 to often more than $1,000 for good items of vintage rhinestone jewellery.

The price will naturally be determined by the quality, condition and the age of the item and also If the jewellery features a hallmark this would also have a tendency to get to a  higher price.

Many genuine retro rhinestone jewellery items possessed a symbol, or a hallmark stamped into them which identified the jewellery company and in many cases the date of  creation. These types of hallmarks can often be found on the clasp of necklaces and bracelets, on the back of pins as well as brooches and oftentimes inside rings.

A typical misconception people have whenever buying antique rhinestone jewelry is that if the piece doesn't have some sort of hallmark then it is a fake, but this is  not necessarily the case, but on the other hand, hallmarks are often counterfeited and added to items to increase their value. The point is always that a hallmark does  not confirm the genuineness and you must be quite sure of what you will be purchasing or putting in a bid for.