Maintain Your Pearl Jewellery With These 8 Simple Tips
There’s nothing as fascinating as pearl jewellery.
From their round texture to their sublime shine, everything about pearls is perfection.
It’s uncanny how nature’s forces can create something so ethereal and unique. A pearl ring, a pearl necklaceor even a pair of pearl earrings can bring an effortless grace to your outfit.
The beauty of pearls can last a lifetime, especially if you care for them the way they’re supposed to be cared for.
Before you start cleaning your pearls, it’s important to know some basic things about them. Pearls are delicate and can easily get scratched, so they need special care. Now, let’s learn how to clean them.
How to Keep Your Pearls Shining: Your Guide to Proper Care
As Pearls are delicate, they should be handled with care since their surface easily scratches. These exquisite gems are produced by oysters as a response to the presence of foreign particles within their shells.
Oysters create pearls by surrounding irritants in their bodies with a mixture of aragonite, conchiolin, and water. This process exposes them to acids, ammonia, alkaline conditions, and high humidity. Pearls are also composed of delicate organic material called nacre. Due to these properties, it’s important to keep chemicals at bay to avoid tarnishing of Pearls.
This doesn’t end here. Pearls are as good as Leaving them in the sun or near a heater or chemical for too long can hamper their shine.
Pro Tip: To keep your pearls in good condition, store them in airtight containers or plastic bags. Pearls need humidity and airflow for proper maintenance. While pearls are quite solid, some may become brittle over time. This can be due to factors like ageing, dryness, or excessive bleaching over the years.
One would also wonder if pearls lose their shine over time. Pearls may get dull and even change form (to a barrel) with time. The good news is that you may easily avoid these issues by regaining your pearly lustre.
On the Mohs scale, the pearl is a 2.5. This implies that pearls are delicate and can be easily damaged. Pearl jewellery, however, may last a lifetime with proper maintenance.
Pearls do require special attention, but this does not make caring for them particularly challenging. You might find it simpler than you expect.
Taking good care of your pearls and handling them with caution will help maintain their beauty over time. Here’s a simple guide to caring for genuine pearls:
1. Always Apply Your Makeup at the End
The rule of thumb for pearls is that they should go on last and come off first. Always apply any cosmetics or fragrances to your skin before putting on your pearl jewellery. Besides, take out your pearls first before you undress.
3. Take Extra Care While Wearing A Pearl Necklace
If the thread holding your pearls is still wet from washing, they should not be worn. A wet string can lengthen and draw in grime. You should wait until the string is dried before attempting to remove it.
4. Pair Soft Wearables with Pearls
Wearing white or black pearlswith denim or other rough textiles is not recommended. They might scrape your skin.
5. Don’t Wear your Pearls While Bathing or Swimming
In case it wasn’t clear already, you shouldn’t wear pearls in the bathroom, pool, or when washing dishes.
How to Store Your Jewellery
Source: Gencraft
1. Avoid Plastic Containers
Never store jewellery in a plastic bag or container. It’s possible to get scratches from plastic bags. Silk or cotton make the best materials for handbags. You will also include a silk purse, specifically designed for preserving pearls, with your order. Keep your pearls from becoming scratched by storing them separately or wrapping each one in tissue.
2. Don’t Hang Pearl Necklaces
Create a safe and convenient location to keep your pearls. Do not hang your real pearl necklace or bracelets to dry if you want to maintain them in good condition. Put them down flat and store them. In this manner, your pearls won’t be dangling loosely.
3. Store Pearls Separately
Keep them in a safe place, but keep them apart from other jewellery so they don’t become damaged or twisted. Avoid tangling by securing the claps and pins. If you want to keep your jewellery organized and in one place, a box with discrete sections is your best bet.
Furthermore, protect your pearls just as you would at home. Keep them safe in a sachet while you’re on the go. Don’t keep the pearls locked up for too long, either. A lack of humidity might cause them to get dehydrated.
5. Minimise Dry Heat
Even while pearls don’t fade when exposed to light, you still need to keep them out of extreme temperatures. Intense heat can damage genuine pearls, causing them to burn or even shatter the nacre, change colour, or even split apart. Knowing how to properly store pearls is an important part of caring for them.
Allowing pearls to air is another crucial step in pearl maintenance. You read that correctly. Pearls are biological gemstones, thus they dry out if they don’t come into touch with the humidity in the air. Long-term storage in plastic bags, safes, or deposit boxes is not recommended for pearls.
How to Clean Your Pearls Without Ruining Them
There are umpteen ways to let your Pearls fall prey to damage and only some to keep to them shining. However, cleaning them isn’t too big of a deal. Just follow these steps to take care of your pearls better.
Source: Gencraft
1. Keep Abrasive Surfaces at Bay
First, to avoid dirtying or scratching your pearls, always wear them as a final accessory.
Pearls should be cleaned after every wear by wiping them with a soft, dry cotton cloth to remove any traces of cosmetics, perfume, or sweat.
Third, remember to clean your pearls before putting them away if you fail to do so after wearing them.
Once you’ve polished your pearls, the best practice is to not store them with your other jewellery.
2. Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Keep your pearls away from any potentially hazardous substances when not in use, as we said in point number six. Pearls, being made entirely of biological material, are easily damaged by water and other substances.
Vinegar, ammonia, chlorine, bleach, acetone, alcohol, industrial cleaning products, and chemical cleansers should never be used on pearls.
Your pearls earrings studsand other jewellery should be submerged in the solution for no more than 15 seconds after it has been well mixed. The pearl’s nacre can be scratched off by using too much soap or an abrasive detergent.
The second step is to use a damp, clean cotton cloth or towel to polish the pearls. Rub the pearls softly in each direction to ensure that all traces of dirt and soap are gone. It’s also important to clean the clasps. Insist on cleaning up the area next to the pearl’s drill holes.
3. Use Dry Cloth
Third, use a dry cotton towel to polish your pearls. Make sure they’re entirely dry by laying them flat on a comfortable surface. The dampness can be absorbed using a clean towel. Don’t use a hair dryer or any other form of artificial heat to try to hasten the process.
Fifth, avoid using ultrasonic or steam cleaning on your pearls. Don’t use any brushes, either.
Final Thoughts
So, this was it for pearl jewellery maintenance. Pearls are treasured gemstones that can last a lifetime if kept with proper care. Also, keep in mind that cosmetics like mascara, perfume, and hairspray can leave behind residue that can impair the shine of your pearls. Pearls should be the last accessory and should be cleaned after each use. Lastly, always clean your pearl jewellery on a routine basis to retain its shine.
Shop Enticing Pearl Jewellery Online
Interested in adding Pearl jewellery to your collection? Take a look at our selection of Pearl jewellery crafted with original 9ct gold and 925 Sterling Silver:
Karsha has been a writer for over 10 years and has been writing for Stonex Jewellers for more than two years where she has gained insights on how to capture the essence of the jewellery industry. She comes from a versatile background, having written for fashion & lifestyle beats and covering the trends of the market. Graduated from the domain of Journalism & Mass Communication — she knows how to depict the cultural and emotional significance of who styles what & when.
