Pearl care:
It is important to care for your Pearls to ensure they will last for generations . Here’s a few tips to maintain their lustre and give you years of love!
1. Don’t wear them in the swimming pool
Harmful chemicals such as chlorine in a pool can effect or cloud the lustre of a pearl and in some instances etch or pit the surface. Wearing a strand of pearls in water can also lead the silk thread they are strung with, to stretch.
“Pool chemicals can damage your pearls.”
2. Don’t store them next to your diamonds
We can’t deny that pearls and diamonds make a very pretty pair especially when they are combined so beautifully in a piece of jewellery like the pearl (pictured below) but when it comes to storing your pearls it’s best to keep them separated. Why? Because diamonds are the hardest gem known to man, much harder than pearls and if stored together, over time the diamond may begin to damage the surface of the pearl.
“Diamonds & pearls look great together, just don’t store them side by side.”
4. Put your Pearls on last
Put your Pearls on after you’ve brushed your teeth, applied your makeup, sunscreen and perfume. This simple Pearl care technique protects them from chemicals found in these items and will prolong the lustre of your gems. When it comes to taking them off, it is always a good idea to wipe them gently with a soft cloth.
“Pearls should be the last thing you put on in the morning and the first thing you take off at night.”
4. Pearl care tip: Wear them
Hiding your Pearls away in a safety deposit box might seem like a good idea to keep your precious gems safe but it can actually have an adverse effect. Pearls need humidity and moisture to maintain their pretty lustre. So pull them from the box and wear them out and proud! (If you absolutely need store them away then a good tip is put a moistened cloth in an open jar in the safe with Pearls).
“Pearls are never out of fashion.”
5. Get your Pearl Strands re-strung regularly
Strands of Pearls are usually strung with silk thread which can weaken and stretch over time. It is advisable to get the Pearls re-strung every few years or when they are showing signs of wear.
6. Don’t use pearls as a cocktail ingredient
Legend has it that in an attempt to demonstrate her wealth and power, the Egyptian Queen Cleopatra made a bet with her lover Marc Anthony. She wagered that she could present the most expensive meal ever known. She won the bet by drinking a cocktail containing a dissolved Pearl. According to sources the Pearl was no ordinary Pearl and was said to have been the ‘largest Pearl in all history’. Cleopatra may have won her bet but it just seems a bit of a waste – not to mention extreme. Plus we’re not entirely convinced it would taste all that nice, but if anyone’s game to try we’d love to hear from you!
For an in depth study about Pearls, we recommend the GIA Pearl page
