Pieces that are broken or discoloured can often be easily repaired of cleaned. Most costume or plastic jewellery are often with plated metals which often go green due to the high content of copper or brass in the base metal. They are also coated or electroplated with a thin layer of silver or gold that wears off quickly.
My best fix for green discoloured metals is again the trusted Napisan soak and finish with a quick gentle scrub with an old toothbrush, you may need to repeat this process several times, just don't soak for too long as rust may become a problem.
The pic above is a good example of 'green gunk' if you can see it in the centre of the photo.For rust, I've found that a very light sand with a very fine grade of sandpaper is good to remove thickened rust followed by a rub with a good polishing cloth will bring it back to a reasonably good shine :) In a side note: Napisan will soften rust but may also turn rusted metals orange.
For the above necklace it will require a very light sand. Even if you don't have sandpaper handy, disposable emery boards can be used. Most of the marks will remain but the Paua/Abalone shell setting is so striking so I hope all attention will stay on that lol.
I hope that I am giving some helpful tips for restoring your vintage jewellery, and make you think twice when you come across that one beautiful piece that needs a little loving. More tips to come :)
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