How to care for pearls and how to store them

Pearls have long been considered a sign of style; jewelry made from pearls is valued by jewelry houses all over the world; the price of individual pearls sometimes reaches several tens of thousands of dollars. However, pearls are a very fragile material used in jewelry making. Over time, pearls lose their original appearance and may change color, darken or crumble. To avoid this and preserve your pearl jewelry for as long as possible, you need to know how to properly care for it and store it at home.

The enemy of pearls - how to properly store pearls at home.

Pearls are a rather capricious and demanding material, so they especially need proper care and storage. Over time, beads lose their properties, become stained and lose their shine. As a rule, this occurs due to improper storage and care of the product.

The main threat to pearls is high indoor humidity, dust, direct sunlight, excessively dry air and, no matter how strange it may sound, body creams. Proper care of pearls requires following simple rules for wearing, cleaning and storing jewelry.

Pearls can fade or tarnish if not worn for a long time. This is the only natural material that can be considered “living”.

Microclimate

An important circumstance for storing pearl products in gold or silver is the creation of the correct microclimate.

Humidity. In the room where pearls are stored, it is necessary to monitor the air humidity. If the room is too dry, the pearl will begin to dehydrate and the aragonite mineral it contains will begin to flake off. If, on the contrary, it is too humid, the pearls may become very cloudy. To avoid such troubles, it is important to carefully monitor the humidity in the room, and during the heating season you can place a glass or container of water next to the pearls.
Temperature. This point is no less important than the previous one. The optimal temperature for storing pearls is approximately 18 degrees. If you do not follow it, it may crack or become cloudy.
Sunlight. Pearls do not like direct sunlight. When exposed to direct sunlight for a long time, the stone becomes dull and yellow.
Dust. Small dust particles can cause microcracks on the surface of pearls. And this in turn can lead to the stone crumbling.
Tobacco smoke. Pearl jewelry is not recommended to be worn in areas where there is a lot of smoking. From tobacco smoke, pearls quickly die and lose their properties.

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:

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.
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.
Take a bath in them.

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How to store pearls

If jewelry is not used daily, but only occasionally, then it is necessary to wipe it occasionally with a piece of velvet. These simple manipulations will preserve your pearly shine for a long time.

For proper storage of pearls, a separate box is suitable, spacious enough so that the product fits completely there, and the clasps do not come into contact with the pearls. The box should close tightly to prevent light and dust from entering, and should also have a jewelry cushion inside made of natural and soft material.

It is not recommended to use plastic bags and fabric bags for storing pearls. In the first case, this will lead to the formation of condensation, and in the second, to abrasion of the pearls, which will negatively affect its quality.

What is a pearl and what does it consist of?

To understand what safe storage and care of products with natural pearls should be, you need to know about the features of its composition. We are talking about a mineral of animal origin - a mother-of-pearl bead, consisting of 90% calcium, 5% organic conchiolin as a fixing agent and the rest from water.

Over time, the organic substances that make up the pearl dry out, which first leads to yellowing of the surface, and then to delamination and complete destruction. A pearl is not immortal - this is a fact, but a person can extend the period of its use as much as possible. To do this, just follow simple recommendations.

How to care for pearls at home

Like any piece of jewelry, pearls require periodic cleaning, no matter whether they are set or not. There are several general rules for proper care at home. The following tips are suitable for cleaning jewelry made from natural sea, freshwater or cultured pearls .

Pearls should be washed with purified or filtered water at room temperature.
Products should be dried naturally, without the use of household appliances.
Do not use bleaching agents or products containing abrasive elements to clean pearls, as well as ultrasonic cleaning.

How to care for pearls in silver

The silver frame adds a special charm to pearls. Such jewelry looks beautiful and very rich, but silver darkens over time. You need to clean it with products that are not suitable for fragile pearls. The best solution would be to contact a jewelry workshop, but if this is not possible, then you will have to use gentle cleaning methods.

The first thing you can use is salt. The product with pearls must be placed on a cloth, sprinkled with salt on top and placed in water for 20 minutes. After this, the jewelry should be carefully rinsed with running water and wiped with a soft cloth.

The second means that you can use to clean pearls without damaging its structure is soapy water. The jewelry should be placed in a soap solution for 20-25 minutes, then dried and wiped with a damp cloth to remove any remaining soap.

You can also use potato starch to clean pearls. This method of cleaning pearl jewelry is suitable when all others are powerless. Pearls are wiped with a cloth with starch sprinkled on it. This allows you to remove dust and dirt, as well as remove excess moisture.

There is also a special paste designed specifically for pearls. But it has not gained widespread popularity due to the fact that the paste is difficult to obtain and such cleaning can significantly shorten the life of the pearl.

Proper care of gold jewelry with pearls

Pearl jewelry can be set not only in silver, but also in gold. In this case, it is recommended to use a soap solution to clean the product. You need to grate soap with a high alkali content and dissolve it in water. Jewelry with pearls should be kept in this solution for no more than five minutes. After this, it should be rinsed in water, wiped dry with a soft cloth and left to dry at room temperature.

Features of pearl products

Pearl is a mineral that is formed in the shells of mollusks as a result of the entry of a foreign body. Natural is extracted from the bottom of the sea or river, and the so-called cultivated is grown artificially. A special type of pearl is soufflé. This mineral is hollow inside. It requires even more careful treatment when cleaning and wearing.

The lifespan of pearl beads is relatively short - no more than 1.5 hundred years. Over time, they may develop a yellowish layer, cracks, or black spots. And yet, such defects can be prevented and the life of the product can be extended. The main thing is to regularly care for your pearls.

String of pearls - what you need to know about care

The care and storage rules listed above are not suitable for strings of pearls, necklaces or beads. This is due to the fact that in this case the pearls are strung on a thread. If you look closely, you can see in such beads a small knot after each pearl. This is necessary so that the beads do not rub against each other, and also to avoid chafing of the thread.

Accordingly, such a product requires special care. For pearls strung on a string, the best home care is a dry starch bath. A string of pearls must be placed in a container with starch for a day. This method effectively removes dirt not only from the pearls, but also from the thread itself. And it is safe for the entire product. But if in doubt, it is better to contact a craftsman in a jewelry workshop.

Beads and necklace

To properly care for your beads, you need to consider the following:

When purchasing, it is better to choose a product with beads separated by thread knots. This insulates each bead, reducing fraying.
The thread on which the pearls are collected gradually stretches and frays. Dirt accumulates between the beads, which can damage them from the inside. Therefore, the thread is changed after two to four years, depending on the degree of use.
When stringing beads onto a new thread, it is advisable to make knots between them, as on the old one. The best thread for pearls is silk. It is delicate, does not stretch well, and reluctantly absorbs foreign components.
The necklace or beads are stored and dried in a horizontal position so that the thread does not stretch.

If you are unsure of your abilities, entrust the necklace update to a master. Saving on precious natural pearls is inappropriate.

Energy cleaning of pearls

There are also methods for cleaning products that many do not take seriously. However, it cannot be denied that jewelry has its own special energy. It is believed that if you wear jewelry for a long time, it will absorb the energy of the owner, both positive and negative. This is why in some cases energy cleansing is required.

Rice is suitable for this type of cleansing. It is believed that it has special properties and cleanses the energy of a thing well. For effective cleansing, you need to put the jewelry in a container with rice for a day. You can use this rice for cleaning several times, but you can no longer eat it.

Another type of energy cleansing of pearls is sound. Prayers or mantras are read over the decoration, bells are rung, and so on.

Unconventional methods also include the sun and fire, but in the case of pearls they are contraindicated. Positive energy will be restored, but the pearls will crumble into dust.

What is prohibited in cleaning pearls?

It is prohibited to use the following products when caring for sea gems:

hygiene products: toothpastes, lotions, creams;
household chemicals: washing powders, dishwashing detergents, whites;
pharmaceuticals: ammonia, hydrogen peroxide;
other: vinegar, ammonia, perfume, alcohol.

When exposed to hot water, the stone delaminates and collapses. Abrasives remove the pearlescent layer, which cannot be restored. Do not place products in ultrasonic cleaning devices or in a container with boiling water, because the stone will crack.

Many people mistakenly use nail polish remover to remove yellow stains. Acetone dissolves the pearlescent layer, which cannot be renewed.

Daily pearl care

Pearl jewelry can fade if not worn for a long time, so it should be worn occasionally. In order for jewelry to last a long time and retain its original appearance, it is necessary to protect it from exposure to aggressive compounds.

If you are used to wearing pearl jewelry only for going out, then don’t be lazy to just wear it at home. You will receive double benefits - the pearls will restore their color and moisture content, which means they will retain their beauty longer, and you will receive a charge of positive emotions. (So what if a pearl necklace is worn with a dressing gown)

Little tricks for wearing pearls

Since pearls are very sensitive to chemicals, they can be damaged if perfume, hairspray or other cosmetics come into contact with them. Therefore, put it on as soon as you are ready to go out and take it off immediately after returning home.
Wipe the product with a soft cloth each time after wearing.
Avoid wearing pearl bracelets and rings if you will be working with your hands.

Follow our advice carefully, and your sea treasure will last you a very long time. You will always look great, especially since this jewelry goes perfectly with other jewelry stones, gold and silver.

How to restore the shine of pearls

If, however, the pearls in the jewelry have lost their attractive shine, you can return them in the following ways:

Wipe with a cotton pad soaked in refined olive oil. Remaining oil must be removed with a paper towel.

Place the pearls in a container with sea water for several hours. Sea water can be obtained by dissolving sea salt in ordinary water.

Go to the solarium. Prolonged exposure to direct sunlight will harm pearls, but a little time under ultraviolet light will help whiten the beads. It is important to ensure that the pearls do not overheat.

If you are not sure whether to clean pearl jewelry at home, it is better to contact a specialist in a jewelry workshop. An experienced jeweler will be able to take into account all the features of the metal and pearl and thoroughly clean the jewelry without damaging it. .

Factors affecting shelf life

Heat and too bright sunlight . Under the influence of high temperatures, the organic substances that make up the pearl dry out. The surface of the bead is cracked.
Low temperatures cause pearls to fade.
Contaminated air . Tobacco smoke and dust remain on the beads. Exposure to polluted air gives pearls a dirty yellow tint.
Chemical substances . These products include perfumes, cosmetics, hair care products (hairspray), in addition, products that are used to purify swimming pool water. Exposure to chemicals leads to the destruction of the bead, cracks and clearings appear on it.
Long break in wearing . Mother of pearl is afraid of oblivion. If worn infrequently, pearls quickly fade and dry out.

Storage conditions

Due to their organic origin, the lifespan of pearls when properly stored is up to 300 years . To extend the life of mother of pearl, you need to follow simple care rules.

The room temperature should be 22-27 °C .
Humidity in winter 30-45%.
Air humidity in summer is up to 60% .
In hot weather, place a container of water near the chest with beads.
Necklaces and beads are stored horizontally.

Storage locations

It is preferable to store pearls in a separate box lined with velvet, velor, or suede.
Pearl jewelry should not be stored in plastic boxes. Some types of plastic contain chemicals that destroy the mother-of-pearl layer.
It is important to ensure that the casket closes tightly . It should not be exposed to dust, polluted air, or sunlight, which destroys pearls.
You should not place pearls near heating devices.

What can't be used?

When you want to quickly clean your pearls, you can use aggressive products that can easily deal with contamination. But in 90% of cases they completely ruin the fragile pearl. After a couple of sessions of such cleaning, the beads will sharply lose their appearance: they will stop shining, turn yellow, lose their pearlescent coating, become scratched or even crack.

Therefore, remember that pearls do not tolerate:

Abrasive powders. They can easily scratch the delicate top layer. Pearls will fade instantly.
Solvents. Even nail polish remover without acetone does not cancel the rule.
Vinegar. And also other acids easily dissolve the mineral. Even water with the addition of these substances can harm pearls.
Alkaline products. He will not even tolerate soda paste, which is considered more gentle. This also includes solid soap.
Alcohol. Including ammonia, which is too aggressive for pearl products.
Ultrasound. It is better to bypass this method, especially this rule applies to freshwater and cultured pearls, since their coating is much thinner than that of natural ones.
Detergents for dishes, windows, furniture. Their components can be hazardous to organic minerals. Be careful!
Hot water. To clean mother of pearl, use warm or room temperature water. In this case, it is better to take drinking water and not from the tap.
Synthetic sponges and hard brushes. It is better to use cotton swabs, cosmetic brushes or applicators instead. Of course, clean.
Metal sharp objects. Never use a knife to remove dirt. Especially soufflé pearls. An ordinary mineral can be severely scratched, but a soufflé can simply be crumbled with just one awkward movement.