Cleaning pearls at home - basic rules for caring for a precious stone

The gemstone should be handled very carefully. Any unsuccessful attempt to wash it can turn out disastrously. Every woman who has this jewel in her collection has at least once wondered how to clean pearls at home.

Pearls have always been popular among the fair half of humanity. There is nothing imperfect about this stone. It’s hard to get used to the idea that pearls were created by the depths of the sea, because this wonder of the world has been attracting humanity with its beauty for centuries. Currently, they have learned to cultivate the stone, so not all of it is natural. But this does not mean that there is less beauty and splendor in it. Jewelry with this design is popular among ladies from high society. One has only to look at the stars of yesteryear and today: Marilyn Monroe, Cameron Diaz, Milla Jovovich, Elizabeth Taylor.

Why do you need to care for pearls?

There are three types of pearls:

• natural, created by the sea;
• cultivated, in conditions close to marine ones;
• artificially grown (freshwater).

When a grain of sand enters the shell, the oyster begins to produce special substances that coat it. It is the layers of these substances that create the shine of mother-of-pearl.

“Sea stone” does not tolerate acids and ammonia. It has high impact resistance, but can be damaged if it hits other jewelry.

On the Moss scale, the hardness of a marine formation (resistance to damage) is rated from 3 to 4. While the same indicator for house dust is 7. Therefore, wiping a stone with a dry cloth means causing irreparable harm to it.

Pearls: properties and features

This stone is a formation that forms inside a mollusk when foreign bodies enter. Therefore, when caring for pearls, it is worth considering that they easily crack, turn yellow and lose their original shine. The color of the stone can vary, but the most common are:

• white;
• black;
• pink;
• beige;
• green;
• silver.

Unlike any other stones, pearls never contain any impurities. Therefore, the color of the mineral does not affect care. The hardness of the formation on the Mohs scale varies from 2.5-5. Thus, the material is quite fragile and requires special care.

What is not recommended to do

Pearls, after several years, lose their original color - they become cloudy. This happens because the gem contains only 2% liquid. Because of this, at high temperatures it dries out, exfoliates, and at high humidity it becomes faded and dull. A very whimsical gem.

But there are some rules that will help protect it from loss of beauty. But first you need to know what you should never do with pearl jewelry:

1. Clean with a toothbrush. This item has a hard coating that will ruin the surface of the stone. Cleaning with detergents, soda, and vinegar is also not allowed.
2. Spray the decoration with perfume or eau de toilette. If these perfumes come into contact with the surface of the necklace, the color of the pearls will turn reddish.
3. Take a bath in them.

How to straighten fishing line on a necklace

Another common problem is deformation of the string of a necklace or beads. Try to avoid this, because almost always the root of this problem is improper storage, transportation or wearing of jewelry.

Gold necklace with cubic zirconia (go to the SUNLIGHT catalogue)

Straightening beads on a fishing line is quite difficult, because you need to act extremely carefully so as not to damage the decorative elements. The most gentle way is to hang the necklace in a warm place (for example, near a radiator) and lightly weigh it down with a weight so that the fishing line straightens.

You can also straighten the fishing line on an invisibility necklace using steam from a steamer or an iron with the appropriate option. But you need to apply steam carefully, only to the problem area and in no case to the pebble!

Special silicone fishing lines are used in the production of jewelry. Sometimes their deformation is irreparable, and the base has to be changed, which is difficult to do without the proper skills.

How to clean pearls at home

There are important rules to follow when handling pearl jewelry. Dirt from the stone can be removed using a soap solution and a cotton pad. The first is done with soap and warm water. Before cleaning the sea formation, the disk is moistened in warm water: the necklaces are wiped with it. If a girl has earrings or rings, then they need to be left in a soapy solution for a couple of minutes, and then wiped with a cotton pad.

High-quality olive oil will also help restore your pearl jewelry to its former beauty. Apply two or three drops of olive oil to a cotton pad and wipe the jewelry with it. To prevent the product from remaining greasy, remove any remaining oil using a dampened paper napkin. Do not use other types of oils when cleaning. They will not help in whitening the formation, but greasy marks will remain.

Potato starch is a good helper for giving a gemstone its former beauty without leaving home. You should take a velvet cloth, pour a little powder into it and wipe the decoration.

If the product has become dull because there are many traces of grease on it, you can bring it back to life using the method below.

A teaspoon of table salt is poured into the linen fabric. Then pearls are placed in it. The stone should be wrapped in a cloth and placed in warm water. You need to rinse the fabric there until the salt is completely dissolved. Then take it out and dry it. Do not rub the sea formation with salt - it will spoil! If the jewelry is strung on a thread, it cannot be cleaned in the described way: water will cause the thread to become thinner and break.

Advice! Removes stubborn stains well...your own nail! It has a hardness similar to mother-of-pearl, so there will be no scratches from such an execution!

A good “folk remedy” is potato flour. You need to put the pearls in a jar of flour and shake it for two to three minutes.

Then, leave the decoration there for a day, and then shake it again. The next day, you can remove the stone and wear it in its original form, not forgetting to first wipe off any remaining flour from it with a cloth.

Pearl necklace - proper cleaning

The classic string of pearls is based on nylon or silk. Natural threads wear out faster than mother-of-pearl beads, lose elasticity and accumulate dirt. That is why they need to be cleaned, even if visually the beads themselves do not seem dirty.

The problem is that the soap solution mentioned above as a tool without which not a single pearl cleaning can be done is not suitable for silk or nylon thread. You need to take care of strings of pearls with double diligence, dividing the process into several stages:

• cleaning beads;
• cleaning the thread.

The first ones are enough to wipe with a cloth soaked in a soap solution, followed by treatment with a clean rag. You can clean the thread safely and conveniently in potato flour. The product is left in a container with flour for a day, after which the excess is removed and rubbed with a clean cloth.

Preserving pearls in their original form

The tips listed were about how to restore a product to its former beauty when it has already been lost. What if you don’t want your pearls to spoil at all? And is the housewife ready to regularly care for her jewelry using special cleaning products? After each wearing, the pearl product must be wiped with a soft cloth. This is done so that no traces of sebum remain on the jewelry, which softens the coating of the stone, making it more fragile. Therefore, every lady who is going to wear pearls for any event should be advised to first do a make-up, then wash her hands with soap and only then put on the jewelry.

You should not swim or play sports while wearing pearl jewelry. In the first case, chlorine, which is added to the pool, will have a devastating effect on the mother-of-pearl, in the second, sweat will begin to corrode the surface of the pearls.

The gemstone is not worn under coarse wool sweaters or coats. From these wardrobe items, small cracks form on it.

It is not recommended to use plastic bags and plastic containers as places to store “sea stone”, since they contain almost no oxygen.

And pearls are an organic formation, therefore, due to the lack of this element, they lose their beauty.

Storing jewelry for a long time in the light has a detrimental effect on mother-of-pearl.

With beads on a thread you need to do the following: separate each bead with a knot. Then the pearls will not touch each other and, as a result, scratch.

Every couple of years it is recommended to change the thread on which the pearls are attached.

When storing, pearl jewelry should be stored separately from other jewelry. It is better if the sea stone is wrapped in a velvet cloth.

Thanks to these simple tips, the beauty and shine of pearls will never deteriorate!

How to store beads?

Beads should be stored at home in a special box, not mixed together, but in individual compartments. The box should be placed in a dry place with neutral room temperature and protected from dampness.

In addition, it is permissible to store beads and jewelry on special hangers or jewelry trees. However, this method is best used as a temporary measure: the bases of the beads can stretch and deform, and the beads can accumulate dust and suffer from direct sunlight.

And don’t forget that jewelry needs to be walked: if you don’t give it proper attention, it can fade. However, just like the most beautiful woman loses some of her shine without her favorite necklaces, beads and chokers!

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What is prohibited in cleaning pearls?

When manipulating a gem, the following are contraindicated:

• hot water, steam;
• window and dishwashing detergents;
• nail polish remover, other solvents;
• soda, alkaline cleaners;
• vinegar, other acids;
• alcohol, including ammonia;
• abrasive powders;
• ultrasound;
• It is prohibited to use brushes or synthetic sponges.

They will cause pearls to become dull, scratched, or lose their nacreous layer.

Care instructions

An important element of caring for such sensitive material is compliance with certain standards of storage and wear. All jewelry should be stored in boxes with a soft inner lining. You should also pay attention to the list of parts:

• the place where pearls are stored should not have high temperature or humidity (for example, a bathroom);
• if the box has a transparent lid, then it should be placed in a dark corner or closet;
• You cannot use special bags and bags for storing precious stones, even on a temporary basis;
• in case of high humidity, the box can be opened slightly and silica gel, activated carbon or white chalk can be placed inside (these materials absorb moisture);
• individual pearls should be stored in special soft bags made of breathable fabric.

If the jewelry is rarely worn, it will fade. This product requires sunbathing to maintain shine and color saturation. It is highly not recommended to wear such jewelry for a long time during rain or constant exposure to sunlight.

What causes pearls to age?

The main reason for the “aging” of pearls is their dehydration (weathering). A completely new pearl jewelry that you have not even used, if stored for a long time and improperly, can dry out, lose its luster, fade and even change its original color. Therefore, such jewelry requires using it for its intended purpose, that is, wearing it. Upon contact with human skin, pearls are filled with moisture, fully revealing their color bouquet.

At the same time, it is imperative to keep in mind that the condition of pearl jewelry is extremely negatively affected by:

• prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, therefore in the summer, when the sun is at its zenith, it is better to cover the pearls with clothes, since when they dry out, they become fragile, the top layer becomes covered with microcracks, and it begins to peel off, the color of the pearl fades and fades;
• contact with cosmetics (various types of creams, varnishes, perfumes, etc.);
• acid-containing preparations and even contact with their vapors (they actively react and dissolve the mother-of-pearl layer), therefore, for example, if you cook food in the kitchen using vinegar, then it is better to remove the pearls at this time and store them in a protected place;
• for the same reason, this must be done when cleaning the apartment using chemically active detergents; direct contact with them is usually detrimental to pearls;
• When cleaning pearls, you cannot use hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or citric acid; they can dissolve the surface layers of mother-of-pearl;
• excessive waterlogging in combination with high temperature also does not have the best effect on pearls, so they need to be removed when taking a hot shower, visiting a bathhouse, sauna (especially a steam room);
• When cleaning pearls, you should never use products containing abrasive substances, even the softest ones, as their surface can easily be scratched.

Chemically aggressive agents can lead to complete damage to pearl jewelry, which even experienced professionals cannot fix.

Restoring mother of pearl

To avoid having to look for information on how to restore mother-of-pearl on pearls, periodically give your jewelry sea baths in moderately salty water. Do not keep items in a box for months. Legend has it that forgotten pearls die.

People often look for information on how to restore pearls if the top layer has worn off. Jewelers usually use a 5-6% solution of acetic and hydrochloric acid. The damaged shell dissolves in an acidic environment, revealing a new, shining layer underneath. Just do not overexpose the beads in the solution, otherwise the decoration will be damaged.

How to restore shine

This parameter is one of the main distinguishing features of the stone. However, pearls quickly lose their shine. For this reason, it is necessary to learn how to care for pearls to maintain their beauty. Cleaning and processing of the mineral should be carried out only as necessary. Using any product too often only leads to a deterioration in external characteristics.

The most popular method of restoring shine is rubbing with olive oil.

Helpful information

It is important to understand that abuse of this procedure will lead to the jewelry becoming dirty faster. It is recommended to avoid low-quality products, as they may contain additives that are hazardous to the material.

You should also not use other types of oil, such as sunflower or corn.

Interesting facts about pearls

Since one thousand nine hundred and fifty-two, fishing for natural pearls has been prohibited. A lot of shellfish were destroyed. More than 90 percent of the pearls available on the jewelry market are cultured;

Le Peregrina is one of the famous pear-shaped teardrop pearls. A five-hundred-year-old unique pearl. Its owners were crowned heads in different historical eras;

Each pearl is unique in its own way and has its own advantages and disadvantages. You cannot find two identical beads;

The largest pearl fishery in Russia is located on the banks of the Muna River, which flows on the Kola Peninsula.

• In the eighteenth century, the main fishing artels belonged to monasteries.
• Peter I in 1712 considered that natural deposits could be completely exhausted.
• Therefore, a decree was introduced banning pearl mining for private purposes.

Framed products

Before cleaning, it is advisable to remove the pearls from the frame and clean the metal frame and beads separately. But this is not always possible.

Gold

Wash gold earrings or other jewelry with a solution of baby soap with a soft brush and dry. The metal is cleaned with a cotton swab soaked in cologne. Make sure that the product (or other special compounds for gold) does not come into contact with the pearls.

Silver

The decoration is washed with a weak solution of baby soap using a cotton swab or soft cloth. Pearls and silver do not like long baths, so the product is cleaned and rinsed quickly. Dry with a soft cloth.

For heavily darkened silver, a special procedure is performed. The decoration is placed in a bag or on ordinary fabric, the ends of which are tied with a knapsack. Sprinkle generously with salt and immerse in water. Rinse until the salt dissolves. The pearls shimmer again, the silver glitters.