Pearl and Jewellery Care
Pearls are very durable. Proper care will keep them beautiful and lustrous through generations. Here are a few tips for keeping your pearls perfect
Care
- Wear your pearls at least semi-often. Pearls were originally born in the water and benefit from absorbing the oils from your skin to keep their shine.
- Gently wipe pearls with a soft cloth to remove sweat, perfume, excess oils or dirt before putting them away
- Store your pearls away from other objects or jewelry that may scratch their surfaces. Wrap the pearls in linen, soft cloth, or place in a soft pouch.
- Do not store pearls in an airtight package such as a plastic bag: remember, pearls need moisture. If placing the pearls in a safety deposit box or in a hot environment, leave a damp cloth nearby, and try to get them out of there as quickly as you can.
- Keep pearls away from chlorine bleach, hydrogen peroxide, vinegar, ammonia, hairspray, perfume, and cosmetics, as these substances will damage the pearl surface.
- Make sure to put pearls on after finishing spraying perfume or hairspray and putting on makeup. Be very careful with chemical substances as they will eat holes in the pearl nacre.
- Remove pearls before exercising to keep them away from perspiratio
- Do not submerge your pearls in water eg. showers, washing dishes, swimming in pools. The chlorine in the water will eat away at the epoxy securing the pearls to their mountings, and soaking the silk your pearls are strung on causes it to stretch out and break early.
- Avoid hanging a pearl necklace on a hook for storage; this places unnecessary strain on the silk and stretches out the necklace.
- Restring pearls once every two to three years, or once a year if you wear them weekly. Be sure to have each pearl knotted separately, preferably with silk, so they do not rub together and wear on the pearl nacre. If pearls are very small, knots between each pearl may be undesirable.