Removing Perished Rubber from Vintage Earrings

[snowhills]

Hi

I have a lovely pair of clip-on earrings which belonged to my mother but the rubber protective backing has perished over the years and has embedded in some of the filigree work on the border as well as near the clip.  Is there anyway to remove this without damaging the item?  The perished debris is very clay-like but on probing gently still has the elasticity of rubber and is hard to remove even using a skewer.  Any help appreciated.

[twyngwyn]

put them in a bag in the freezer?...that's the cure for chewing gum

[siddieswans]

To be honest I just usually scrape it off with my fingernail or as you say poke it off with a small skewer (very common problem with vintage clip earrings.) However if it has gone into the filigree part, as long as it is metal (ie an impermeable surface) I would try swabbing with eucalyptus oil or tea-tree oil - what you would be trying to do is make the rubber pliable enough to remove. There are all sorts of tips on the net from WD40 to perfume. The sort of stuff used to remove sticky labels might also be an idea.  Good luck.

[snowhills]

Thanks I had not thought of that.  May help pry the debris loose. 🙂

Cheers

Evelyn

[snowhills]

Thanks for your suggestios. Yes it is quite difficult to remove - I will have to be more patient.

I will also try your suggestion with the oil. Usually works on other surfaces without damage - good idea. 

Thanks very much.