Purposing or Repurposing Vintage Jewelry, What's the Difference?

Do I or don't I take that vintage piece apart to make a new design? What will I learn from doing it? Would it be better to make a vintage brooch into a focal, or should I make my own new focal and take a step forward as a designer by challenging myself? There is no dearth of vintage and vintage style product. In reality, combining both ideas is probably the most practical. B'sue's point is to encourage you to explore what you have before dismantling anything, and to encourage you to grow as an artist. Many examples are provided in this video. B'sue Boutiques is found at www.bsueboutiques.com #BSue_Boutiques

[@deniserichards6126]

Again, I am going back and watching your older videos, and I love them. Thank you for the respect you show for vintage jewelry. I love the history lessons you share.❤

[@bsueboutiques]

You are so welcome!

[@djohnson2800]

Thank you for sharing your thoughts about taking undamaged jewelry apart. I have been struggling with this for a while now when contemplating using pieces that are not currently trendy or valued. But I continue to hang on to these unbroken pieces including my art deco pieces and keep them intact in case someone else down the line can enjoy them as I do.

[@bsueboutiques]

Glad it was helpful! Thank you so much for watching. 😊

[@debraphillips8921]

Great Ideas and I am going through some of my mom's old things plus what I had given her... plus the items that I made for her.... She had a bunch of little do dads that have come from jars she collected and never got around to using them

[@LILRHONDALEE]

I AM SO LOVING YOUR CHANNEL! I have been watching video after video of yours all night! You are so inspiring, and chock full of great info and ideas! Thank you so very much for sharing your knowledge and talent! I totally agree with you on the subject of this video, and by instinct, I guess, been following your advice all my life. I need to go check your store, but am finding it hard to pull myself away from your videos...lol! TFS! xo

[@janetstude3979]

Very informative! Thank you!

[@bsueboutiques]

Very welcome! 🤗

[@uniqueaetc.3427]

I love this video, I redo my jewelry sometimes too. Anything I love I try to fix it some how. Happy Easter.

[@bsueboutiques]

Always good to see if you can fix it first. Good for you!

[@lilbird2734]

I thank you for the help with the memory wire braclet. I thought you would like to know i sold that first braclet! The buyer loved it! Thanks

[@bsueboutiques]

FANTASTIC NEWS! Keep making them!

[@barbieglam1219]

Oh Boy! My Mother Would SLAP ME If I EVER Took A Part A Piece Of Miriam Haskell! Haha! LoL! I couldn't bring myself to do it anyways! She's A Fav of ours! That would be A Tragedy to take apart her jewelry! We tend to leave well enough alone when it comes to pieces that have nothing wrong w/them. & I just finished watching your video & again... I Deff understand your point of view on re-purposing. I do think that it's a great way to up cycle old broken pieces or mis matched pieces. Findings... Ect... You can get very creative w/it. But making your own "Purposing" your pieces is always more special. My Mom has done it all & I've always favored the pieces she's created herself, her designs. Her jewelry is just so beautiful, classy, Elegant. She's truly an artist. Great video 😉

[@sf160871]

I really like your outview in this topic. I agree that it is a nice challenge to make the focal by ones self and to keep as much of the vintage pieces together, that being said I do take things apart too, sometimes pieces just scream certain designs at me and I would get sick not making them then, hehe :) Great video as always, thanks a lot for your compasion that you share with us :)

[@yelloworangered]

That first necklace is so yummy looking. I'd love to have a dessert that was so pretty.

[@lilbird2734]

First time watching your channel and i am glad i did. I am trying to figure out what to do with necklaces that are 3-8 stranded with different colors of very pretty beads. I don't know if the beads are worth anything. Some of them have swirls of white in them. One is peach color with the clip earings labeled guarantéd first quality. They are too huge to wear. Everything is original. My mom gave them to me so theu are 1950 or earlier. Some of the beads are too big. I was looking around KZbin to see if there was anything i could do with them. There are enough beads to make a lot of necklaces. Now i don't know what to do. Also i am looking for rinestones to fix antique necklaces.

[@bettybho2168]

I can understand not wanting to take apart those rhinestone earrings but I have seen some incredibly beautiful reassemblage on pieces just like that. There are some artistic geniuses on Etsy who inspire me everyday, it's amazing to see how they transform a pair of earrings like that into a haute couture worthy piece of jewellery.Rather than devaluing the piece it actually increases the value, and gives the piece of jewellery another life.If it was really rare signed and immensely collectable then fair enough but most of the pieces you advocate to preserve are relatively inexpensive and are more desirable after their makeover imho!

[@bsueboutiques]

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. When I dealt in jewelry I did mostly all high end and would have had no respect for these pieces. When I became a jewelry maker almost 30 years ago, I came to appreciate five and dime style pieces. I don't agree at all with repurposing anything that is not broken. At the end of the day, it's your jewelry, go ahead and do what you like. But I recall a time when for example, you couldn't sell old West German or Hong Kong fruit necklaces. People broke them up all the time as they felt the same way: relatively inexpensive etc. What a mistake! They bring nice money, now.

[@barbieglam1219]

You just never know. I've found diamond pieces, Gold, sterling silver, gemstones, Bakelite pieces, Lucite... Ect... So before you take anything apart, if you have a hunch or think that "Eh... This may be worth something", Deff have the piece or pieces checked out. We're lucky that over the years from working w/Antique pieces & Antique & vintage Jewelry, that we've gained some knowledge in that area. If we hadn't, we would've Deff lost out on a lot of money. But not only that, some beautiful pieces & work of art's would've been ruined. So I definitely understand what you're saying 😉😘

[@terriebrown3462]

I know this comment comes many yrs later. But i was going through looking for boorch's and dress clips on Esty. I ran across so many pcs that were ruined by placing them in frames where they made a pic with 40 beautiful brooches. Also somebody making pic frames with 2 to 4 beautiful brooches. My hearr just sinks to see the destruction of old vintage jewelry that can never be worn again. Mind you i know and recognize some of the brooches as pcs that are collectors pcs even for a poor girl like me. Thank you for making this video

[@bsueboutiques]

your welcome

[@tonilebeck2769]

I love your videos!

[@bsueboutiques]

SO glad to hear that! Keep watching!!

[@RTC_Raven]

I just found you, this is the first vid I've watched. I make jewelry , purposed and repurposed. I don't like ripping things apart . If something is already broken and I can't repair it I will reuse it.

[@bsueboutiques]

Raven At R Treasure Chest yes you can repair

[@teenpromqueen]

I love the first necklace..do you sell the colored backs with a hole in them???? I have a lot of single clip-on earrings and these backs would really work, Thank you for the great video.

[@bsueboutiques]

Probably not, Jane, but have a look at www.bsueboutiques.com and see what we've got. We've got a lot of great stuff! This video was made almost ten years ago, can you imagine! Now my hair is white!

[@mistylee717]

I agree. I'm a purist and believe in Preservation. After all those designers are all mostly gone now. So they're irreplaceable. However, as a dealer buying and selling vintage jewelry I've unwittingly developed a large collection of stuff that I cannot sell because it's eitheer damages incomplete or the market has dropped out. Emmons and Sarah Cov made some lovely things but just try making money selling it on eBay. Meantime I'm running out of storage space. What to do.

[@bsueboutiques]

Misty, I have never had trouble selling Emmons or Sarah Coventry, but Ebay may not be the place to do it. I did well with it at Ruby Lane when I had a shop there.

[@TamiDawnA]

I have a small collection of vintage pins.... I have a jewelry table every year at our church (proceeds going to church). Ladies bring in there jewelry that they don't where any more and I sell it. I always buy my favorites. I love this !!!

[@PrincessCasserole]

I normally have more than enough broken jewelry to make things without needing to break apart things that are not broken.i do see sometimes repurposed things that use beautiful vintage jewelry which makes me sad too.

[@PrincessCasserole]

Also I love those enamel earrings.

[@capatga]

I was hoping to see the process like gluing on parts and setting stones .

[@bsueboutiques]

There are other videos that I have, in fact many, that are about that. This one isn't. ;-)

[@marieholzwasser9224]

I agree with every thing you said. Great advice!

[@bsueboutiques]

Thank you for watching.

[@vickyrushton1783]

I have a problem I have vintage necklaces but the length is too small to wear. I intended to add extenders so I can wear them would this be sacrilege?

[@bsueboutiques]

No, especially if you don't alter anything. But if you just want to be able to wear something, you should do what you need to if you want to wear it. ;-) We have an extenders video now too kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWTMgWamqNiUiZo

[@lil_yoonkitty2075]

I love repairing jewelry however it is very hard to repair a 1940s and 50s necklace wathoutrying to to lose all the pearls

[@ladyjames6135]

How do you store and keep tract of the Jewlery you want to sell.

[@bsueboutiques]

I would say, that would be another great video!

[@lizveta6643]

The simple necklace at 5:23 Could it be painted?

[@bsueboutiques]

Yes it could be painted

[@sharenreyes7324]

I have several pairs of clip earrings I love but can't stand yo wear. You say not to take off the clips. How can I wear them.

[@bsueboutiques]

If you don't care about ruining their value, then go ahead and do it, Sharen. But for those who do that just to make stuff, they might want to check out what they have, first. It could be worth some $$ ;-)

[@sharenreyes7324]

@@bsueboutiques Thank you. I want to wear them. No markings and the Crystal's have that flash. A couple pairs were my mother's and are Avon and Sarah Coventry, so not that valuable. Thanks again

[@bsueboutiques]

Have at it, dear @@sharenreyes7324 Enjoy your mom's earrings!

[@jessicabeaber3528]

You could wear them as accessories on shirt collars or even dress up an old pair of pumps by clipping them to the top part of shoe! Just be carefull while wearing nylon stockings because the earring backs can cause a run in them.

[@suemitchell8641]

If I want to keep the earrings, I take the backs off and glue a pierced back on.

[@ahlamfaqeeh1001]

I miss you

[@annfurlong7921]

Your camera doesn't focus.

[@bsueboutiques]

Sorry this video is very old and we updated our equipment. The newer videos have great-quality pictures. 😊

[@AngiyT]

Wow, kinda like she was reading my mind! What if it "looks" like nothing to me and it was worth thousands of dollars!

[@reginapustelak5420]

Please work on the focusing of your videos. Most of the up close shots are so blurry that they are difficult to look at.

[@bsueboutiques]

Sorry this is an old video and yes our camera wasn’t the best. But our new videos are better than ever.

[@reginapustelak5420]

@@bsueboutiques thank you! Just found your channel and happened I must have watched a couple of "oldies" 😁 will be on the lookout for better focus 🤓😉 (blurry stuff makes me nauseous 🙄)

[@reginapustelak5420]

@@bsueboutiques BTW I have a bunch of my mom's old costume jewelry and several crystals, rhinestones, etc have fallen out. I have them saved but I wonder what you recommend to put them back in. Is there a specific special kind of glue?

[@2622Valerie1]

I agree, keep, the iriginal idea, base.. and ad, what you like.. out off respect..