How to Preserve the Artistic and Historical Value of Antiques

By: Benedict Smythe

One of the most significant characteristic of any antique item is its age. Since antiques have been passed down from one generation to the next, these items easily undergo daily wear and tear. Thus, any antique item demands considerable care to preserve and protect its timeless value.

While a professional antique restorer is recommended for more intricate and detail-oriented method of antique restoration, you can also do your part to help maintain the artistic and historical value of your collection. Read on some tips on how to clean precious antique pieces.

Direct sunlight is a no-no for antique furniture. You should never display antique furniture in direct sunlight or beside air-conditioning or heating units. The heat that comes from these sources will deteriorate the fragile state of the antique piece. Place antique furniture in cool areas or better yet ask antique experts of how to properly display your piece. Note that different types of wood require different temperature to maintain its elegance.

Use soft, lint-free cloth for polishing. Soft and lint-free cloth should be used when polishing antique pieces. You should never polish antiques the way you may polish your modern pieces. Remember that antiques are old and can easily be torn, scratched or broken if mishandled.

Move antique furniture with care. Because of the furniture’s sensitive condition, you should only move antique pieces when you really have to and only with utmost care. Otherwise, let the furniture stay in one corner of your house to lessen the probability of accidental breaking.

Use your hands when dealing with antique ceramics or glass. Cleaning antique ceramics and glass is quite simple just by using lint-free cloth for regular dusting. However, unlike antique furniture pieces, wearing protective gloves in handling antique ceramic and glass is not advisable. It is more appropriate to handle antiques of this type using your clean hands. It is good to know that sunlight and humidity would not affect the condition of some antique ceramics and glass. To determine sensitive antique items, you must seek the advice of an antique expert.

Store antique ceramics or glass in sturdy shelves. The most common problem with antique ceramic or glass is breakage. Therefore, extra care must be given in its storage. You must never place antique ceramic or glass in unstable cabinets. In case of accidental breakage, place each piece even the smallest one in acid-free tissue and bring to an experienced antique restorer. You must never repair damaged antique pieces on your own to avoid devaluation.

Regularly polish antique silver and metal pieces. Antique silver and metal items are extremely delicate. Antique items made from these materials can react to natural conditions and may result to corrosion, scratches, dents and fractures. Regular and proper cleaning through polishing with soft cloth will reduce the difficulty of maintaining the items’ patina. You should use protective gloves when handling antique silver and metal to avoid tarnishing due to body sweat.

Store antique jewellery separately. Antique jewellery is extremely delicate. A piece of jewellery is possible to be made up of several types of precious stone or metal in which one would adversely affect each other through time. This is why you should not store several pieces of antique jewellery in just one box. Make sure that you have a separate box for each piece to avoid chemical reaction.

Hire the expertise of an antique jeweller. Small jewellery pieces make it almost impossible to clean, so an experienced jeweller specializing in antiques is recommended to handle these items.

Article Source: http://www.bigfreearticles.com

One of the most significant characteristic of any antique item is its age Since antiques have been passed down from one generation to the next, these items easily undergo daily wear and tear

About the Author:
Driscolls Antiques is a leading supplier of quality antiques and antique furniture. Benedict Yossarian is a freelance Internet Marketing Consultant that can help maximize your exposure online.

Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, antiques, antique furniture, antique restoration

Please Rate this Article

Comments

Share This Article - Quick and Easy Using This Button:

Click the XML Icon Above to Receive Arts and Crafts Articles Via RSS!

Read More Articles From - Home | Hobbies | Arts and crafts

A Beginner’s Guide to Starting a Dollhouse Collection By: Lily Morgan - Collecting dollhouses has long graduated as a child’s hobby; many adults have now taken to this passion. For most, it is an opportunity to express creativity, an outlet for one’s inner architect and closet interior designer. Others find work on miniatures therapeutic and meditative. Then there are those who pursue dollhouse collection for the thrill of accomplishing something breathtaking and intricate. If you have just caught the dollhouse collecting bug, getting started may feel like an overwhelming task. The following are two suggestions to bear in mind as you jumpstart your collection. First off, plan!
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, dollhouse collecting
Growing Your Collection: How to Choose the Right Doll House Kit By: Lily Morgan - It’s such a great shame if something that is just beautiful, and obviously took much care and effort, just ends up gathering dust in the basement. Good thing for all miniature enthusiasts, their collections have a place to go in case they need a home. Enter the Miniature Museum of Greater St. Louis in Missouri. This haven for intricate and well-crafted miniatures has provided the avenue for a good number of private collections to be appreciated by many. In here, exhibits are akin to legacies, and they communicate a part of the original owners’ passion and artistry to the museum’s patrons everyday.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, doll house kits
Candle Lanterns By: Tara Smith - There are many kinds of candle lanterns and they have been around for a long time. Post candle lanterns are one kind and they come in various styles such as pilgrim, onion, and navigation. Many of the candle lanterns from colonial times were made from pierced tin and styles from that time are made today. These days many people are decorating their yards with candle lanterns. They go well in gardens and candle lanterns attached to walls can illuminate entrances or other unlit areas. They can be hung on posts or tree branches. This idea may bring up questions of fire and safety.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, candles, soy candles, candle lanterns
Making Candles in Colonial Times Was Essential By: Tara Smith - Candles in Colonial America were a necessity. Obviously they didn’t have electricity and oil for lamps was costly. Candles were the light of the night. The common people made their candles out of tallow, which is animal fat and it burned rancid like the Roman candles made of the same substance. The well to do used beeswax candles; the average family couldn’t afford such extravagance. The common colonist was out in the field quite a bit and even the women worked outside some. They made the discovery of using bayberries that they boiled to get the wax.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, colonial times, scented candles, soy wax candles, soy chunk, making candles
How to Create Your Own Sterling Silver Jewelry By: Brenda Ogilvie - It is interesting to note that people from all walks of life are choosing to opt for professions which are close to their heart. If we talk of sterling silver jewelry, we would imagine an elegant piece of necklace or a stylish bracelet which is sold through a normal shop and is available for purchase at a fixed price. This is a normal scenario wherein you happen to be a prospective buyer and the sterling silver jewelry is your prospective purchase. Let’s try and do a role reversal. Let us see what happens then.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, sterling silver jewelry, jewelry sterling silver, womens jewelry
Cool Scorpio Symbol Tribal Tattoos That Rock By: lucy watson - Having tattoos is one way of an individual to show his personality. To some people, tattoos mean something and most of the time, these people have thought of the design carefully before the inking process. Scorpio symbol tribal tattoos are the trendiest body art that teens often dig to look cool and as a way of expression. They want to make an impression and they do it for a certain reason. Some people get a tattoo to show courage while some get it as a form of body décor.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, tribal tattoos, scorpio symbol tribal tattoos
The Life of Fashion Jewelry - Fashion Jewelry for the Aging By: Brenda Ogilvie - Costume jewelry is also referred to as fashion jewelry and is the type of piece you would wear on special occasions or to fun events that happen every now and then. Types of fashion jewelry come in many styles, designs, and colors to choose. Some of them even look like the real thing but are much cheaper to purchase. You will be able to find fashion jewelry that will fit in with the current trends in fashion and they will go with many of your outfits perfectly. Whatever pieces you like, you can pick to wear without feeling bad about the choice.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, fashion jewelry, vintage fashion jewelry, fashion costume jewelry, womens fashion jewelry, costume
How to Take Care of Your Sterling Silver Jewelry By: Brenda Ogilvie - Sterling silver jewelry is the latest fad to hit the fashion world and is being aped by the rich and poor alike. The jewelry is good to look at and comes at an affordable price. At the same time, you get a chance to view a wide variety and a style to suit each occasion. Once you have bought a piece of sterling silver jewelry, the next step is to take care of it. The caring procedure is fairly simple and easy to follow and if you get your basics right, the rest would automatically fall in place.
Tags: sterling silver jewelry, womens sterline silver jewelry, discounted sterling, plus sized jewelry
The Fantastic Look of Vintage Jewelry By: Jeff Cox - Tell me where to find that fabulous vintage jewelry! Vintage jewelry is all the rage and many people want to know where to find the best vintage jewelry on line. There are many different ways to find this beautiful jewelry by using search engines or, if you know the particular place’s website, then type it in. There are many different well known makers of this fabulous jewelry. Sarah Coventry is one example of a site selling this type of jewelry to the public. There is costume and real jewelry. Vintage is defined as being over thirty years old and as old as one hundred years.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, sterling silver jewelry, childrens sterling silver jewelry, sterling silver necklaces
Hip Hop Dance Moves – Learn it Step by Step with Instructional Videos By: Elorado Walls - If you have ever wanted to learn the dance moves you see pop stars performing on television, but have been too shy to take a class, or possibly couldn't afford the monetary or time investment then you should consider hip hop dance videos. While the moves may look intimidating initially, learning these types of dance moves can be fun and easy with the help of a hip hop dance video in the comfort of your own home. One of the major benefits of learning hip hop dancing in your own home is that you can go at your own pace.
Tags: hobbies, arts and crafts, hip hop dance videos, hip hop dance dvd, learn hip hop dancing, hip hop dance moves