dilemma

[just sally]

my niece sent me a phone photo of a tray of beads she has bought me, looks like the ones you can buy on the net. she works for a charity shop just outside glasgow.
when i phoned her to thank her she told me about all the swaro jewellery that had been handed in
"its never been worn do you want it a.sally"
so now i`m in the recycling business
god bless family


is it ethical to use the stones, are they used

[silvermaid]

There are a lot of jewellers out there making stuff with vintage beads and they often sell for higher prices as some of the beads are rare. So go ahead.

If they need to be cleaned the Oxi powder is good for glass. A teaspoon in a big glass or jug with hot -not boiling - water over ( it will foam up to three times the volume) and then swish the beads around every so often for an hour or two. If the bead holes are dirty you can thread them with string or cord and rub them along it whilst they are in the oxi bath.

Melanie

[CeeGee]

Definitely use them - as Melanie said, they're not used, they're vintage! I love the thought of giving old beads a new lease of life.

Oxi powder is a good suggestion, I haven't seen that one before. I use those tablets for cleaning dentures (can't remember the name of them) - stick one in a glass of warm water with the beads overnight and they should come up really nicely.

[debsjeans]

This world has too much waste I think it would be a waste not to reuse good condition beads.

[RenataHarris]

Not ethical? You're giving money to charity instead of a shop!

Might be worried that theyre not real swarovski, but theyre still beads so if they look nice it's good

[silvermaid]

With all the fuss from Swarovski about their beads having to be called 'Crystal Elements' you are better off calling them bohemian crystal anyway. I have bought or been given several necklaces that I'm certain are swaro's in shapes that have been discontinued. The cut edges of the best beads are usually quite sharp rather than rounded and they send out loads more rainbows when held in the sun.

Melanie

[just sally]

thanks all for your tips and advice, looking forward to receiving them now.
sally