180 yo Mourning Brooch - HELP - should I clean it?

[SapphireBomb]

On this very sad day, it seems fitting that my very first mourning brooch arrived in the mail.
I have been wanting the perfect mourning brooch and this piece literally asked me to be its next caretaker.
I take that responsibility seriously.
It is an enamel/amethyst/seed pearl/14k gold/milgrain brooch with the back engraved “John Lowell” “March 12,1840”
“Age 70”
John Lowell was a prominent federalist who penned part of the federalist papers.
I adore everything about it and my question is … under my loupe it is very grimy.
Dirt between the amethyst and the pearls.
Should I give thus 180+ year old a gentle steam or leave it’s original patina????
It’s taking all my willpower to leave it as is.
Oh…I recognize two corners have enamel damage. That doesn’t bother me.
The dirt does.
All expert advice needed please….

 

[Bron357]

I would, very so gently, with a damp soft toothbrush give it a gentle scrub. use a soft cloth to wipe over after grime is lifted. Keep in mind that the pearls might loosen so that’s why ever so gentle care is needed.
As for the chipped enamel, my go to repair is nail polish. Use a bit of tape at the edges of the area and just dab a fraction of polish onto the damaged area. Just a dab. I use a toothpick. Given there are so many colours of polish available you can practically match any enamel.
the other benefit is that it’s not permanent, an equal dab of polish remover will take it off again.

 

[SapphireBomb]

@Bron357 thank you so much.
I have a gut feeling that there may be hair or fabric tucked inside the piece as it is very thick through the center portion (it’s not a locket and doesn’t open) so I do not want to get it wet at all just in case.

 

[PreRaphaelite]

You could use a clean lipstick brush, dampened with 70% rubbing alcohol, (damp not wet) and swirl in the crevices to loosen debris, and then wipe with a microfibre cloth.

It's lovely - just beautiful.

 

[stracci2000]

Sometimes, in cases like this, I just go over the recessed areas with a clean dry toothbrush.
This will brush the dust and grunge away and brighten up the whole piece.
I betcha that thing opens somehow......or maybe the amethyst snaps out.
That would explain the deep crevice between the amethyst and the pearls.

 

[88_star]

Could be that the amethyst is glued/secured if hair was removed from the center so there's another reason to not get it too wet in the cleaning process (so as not to dissolve or loosen the glue). I think a soft dry brush and a cloth may do wonders.

 

[LightBright]

My opinion is: do not touch it until a professional can advise you. If it’s hair (very possible) or fabric in the brooch, it might mold if you get it wet. Pearls are very delicate, I have no idea how to clean them but I suspect NOT cleaning them is advised. In this case, any home restoration could backfire IMO. So I would advise finding someone who can know exactly how to treat it OR advise to Leave it alone. I say this because it is an important historical heirloom, etc.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

On this very sad day, it seems fitting that my very first mourning brooch arrived in the mail.
I have been wanting the perfect mourning brooch and this piece literally asked me to be its next caretaker.
I take that responsibility seriously.
It is an enamel/amethyst/seed pearl/14k gold/milgrain brooch with the back engraved “John Lowell” “March 12,1840”
“Age 70”
John Lowell was a prominent federalist who penned part of the federalist papers.
I adore everything about it and my question is … under my loupe it is very grimy.
Dirt between the amethyst and the pearls.
Should I give thus 180+ year old a gentle steam or leave it’s original patina????
It’s taking all my willpower to leave it as is.
Oh…I recognize two corners have enamel damage. That doesn’t bother me.
The dirt does.
All expert advice needed please….

what a lovelly piece
how fittingly sad that it arrived today

 

[SapphireBomb]

I’m not sure you can see a difference but I can and thru the loupe it looks spic and span.
All I did was gently wipe with a slightly damp q-tip dipped in distilled water and the gunk lifted right off onto the q-tip.
Then I gently passed a dry q-tip over it.
The gold and pearls look gleaming now!
Thanks all!!

 

[LightBright]

It looks beautiful! I’m so glad to see someone appreciating and cherishing these unusual very historic jewelries. Gorgeous piece.

 

[SapphireBomb]

Here he is all shined up and ready for the freshman parents first day back reception!!

 

[glitterata]

My gut feeling about this brooch, having seen and handled a LOT of 18th and 19th c mourning jewelry: This originally had a lock of woven hair set under glass. Either it got damaged or someone in the 20th century found it icky, but in any case, someone removed the lock of hair and its glass and replaced it with that piece of opaque amethyst. Nobody in the 19th century would put a piece of opaque amethyst in a mourning brooch like that. Yes, they did sometimes use transparent faceted amethyst or amethyst-colored paste in mourning jewelry, but not that way, in a brooch that was inscribed with someone's name to memorialize a particular person. (Maybe around the edge, the way the pearls are in your brooch.) A brooch like that would have held a memento from that person, usually hair. So what you have is an attractive brooch, but it has the center part replaced with an anachronistic stone.